


The Dancer and the Hunter

by CreemPyy



Series: The Dancer and The Hunter [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Original Character(s), Other, Rewrite, This Isn't a Reader Insert, basically I've added my own character into the story, just a story, no smut just fluff, original character is non-binary, will add more tags later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28038042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreemPyy/pseuds/CreemPyy
Summary: Do you believe that there are no coincidences in life? Everything happens for a reason. Every person we meet has a roll in our life, either big or small. Some will hurt, betray and make us cry. Some will teach us lessons, not to change us, but to make us a better person.OR!A simple street dancer on Nevarro gets caught up in something they never thought would ever happen to them. Now they have to get used to their new metal friend and his little green son.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader
Series: The Dancer and The Hunter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080242
Kudos: 16





	1. Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title inspired by the song Sweet Dreams (are made if this) by Eurythmics.
> 
> Hey there! I recently created an original character to inserted into the TV show of The Mandalorian and I thought, why not write them into the show! So, here we have chapter one! If you want to check out the design of Elwyn, visit my Tumblr with this link! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/creempyy It's the first image (I only have two posts so it won't be difficult to find)

It was a late afternoon on the dusty planes of Navarro. People were rapping up their days in the quaint little town, yet this person was far from finished with theirs. Elwyn Fable. A dancer, street dancer in fact. They make a living off of their freestyle moves booming out of their second-hand boom box every day in the town. The kids loved it, even some of the marketplace people. They bring something new to the town every day, just so they wow newcomers and don't bore oldcomers. 

Elwyn moved to the thumping beat of a song, fast moving music as they pop and lock their shoulders, hip bump the air and shake their hips. Something about dancing without a plan made Elwyn feel free, allowed them to move without any rules. When they danced, they forgot about the horrors of the world they lived in. They forgot about any and all problems, a smile always finding a way on their face. This was Elwyn's time, and they enjoyed sharing it with the town they called home. The song finished and they hit a pose on the last beat, allowing the small crowd around them to erupt into an applause. It made them smile every time they hear the sound of clapping. It boosted Elwyn’s confidence in their moves, made them feel… like something important. Wanted. 

They opened the pocket of their pants and pulled out a small bag, walking around to the crowd and asking for some credits after their performance. They need to make a living somehow. Elwyn packed up their boombox and slung it over their shoulders after scrounging up some credits and made their way towards the outskirts of the town where they lived. They opened the small bag slightly to count the credits they made today… 10 credits… Elwyn sighed, placing the bag back into the pocket of their pants and continued on. 

They felt the hair on the back of their neck stand up as they walked through the now darkening streets, feeling as though something bad was about to happen. They look around, noticing the amount of people approaching the middle of the street, all locking eyes with someone in the middle of the street…

A Mandalorian!

Elwyn gulped, craving into their gut feeling. They needed to get out of there. They weaved through the bounty hunters zoning in on the Mandalorian before they heard someone talking to him as everyone un-holstered their blasters. They ducked behind a few crates, feeling the fear settling in over them.

“Put the cargo over there, and let’s talk,” the man said to the masked bounty hunter.

“You won’t hurt him?” He said, voice filtering through his helmet. 

Elwyn gulped again, their breath hitching in their throat. They could just leave, excuse themself and walk away, but these guys were really interested in this cargo the masked man had, so maybe they’d gun Elwyn down if they tried getting away. Maybe this was very secretive meeting and they really shouldn’t be here. 

They slumped lower on the ground, balling up sand in their fists in worry. Soon, gun fire filled their ears, and Elwyn knew that was their time to get out of here. They stood up, dodging the gunfire as they look around for their house. There was so much smoke, and they couldn’t see. Elwyn looked around more, squinting through the smoke, they saw some lights on a ship. Elwyn nodded to themself and they took off towards it. It would be best to stow away in such a piece of junk until the fight died down. Then they could get back home safely. They weaved through the gunfire and the fighting bounty hunters quickly.

“Get back here!!” They heard a voice shout. They turned towards the voice and noticed someone coming at them. He dropped his gun and unsheathed a small knife. 

“Stay away!” Elwyn cried, holding out their hands to catch his shoulders. They ducked and dodged his strikes, using their flexibility to their advantage. But that didn’t stop him from striking a blow to their left shoulder, cutting long and deep into Elwyn’s skin. They cried out in pain, letting go of him with one hand to strike him in the stomach. He doubled over and they took that as their time to escape. They ran up the ramp and hid in the ship behind some large crates of cargo.

They let out a large sigh, the adrenalin dying down and Their beating heart slowed. But with that dying adrenalin came the pain of Elwyn’s shoulder. They looked at it, noticing the amount of blood pooling down their shoulder. Bile rose in their throat just looking at it. Elwyn went to stand up, yet they heard the door to the ship closing and the ship soon shook awake, taking off into space. They gasped loudly as they lost balance, crashing into the crates. 

“Shit!” Elwyn hissed quietly. That’s when they heard the loud sounds of footsteps against metal floor. They ducked behind the crates again, covering their mouth to silence their breaths. Elwyn gulped, feeling the presence of the pilot getting closer. 

The crate they were behind was kicked away; a blaster pointed right in their face. They jumped back in fear, feeling their eyes prick with tears. 

“Who are you? Are you with the Creed?” he spoke. Elwyn looked up. It was the Mandalorian they saw. Oh god. They felt their face go pale as they stared down the barrel of his blaster. Elwyn was about to die at the hands of a Mandalorian.

“I-I’m not with the Creed! I’m just a simple street dancer!” They cried, holding their tears back.

His head tilted, “A street dancer?”

“Yes, sir! A street dancer! I dance in the streets of Navarro and make money from it! I’m not with the Creed!”

He stood there for a few more agonising seconds before putting his blaster away. They soon felt the need to breathe again when he turned away. He approached a ladder that must have led up to the cockpit. Before he moved up, he looked at me.

“Follow,”

They got up, feeling dizzy as their legs wobbled on their weight. Elwyn’s head felt light, and their vision begun to grow black. They shook their head, needing to stay awake. They tried moving forward, yet their legs gave out and their vision went dark.

All they could hear were the loud clanking of metal boots against the metal floor of the ship approaching them.

~~~~~~~~~

They soon awoke in the cockpit, strapped into the co-pilot seat. Elwyn’s head felt light still as they felt a small pain zap at their shoulder. The knife wound! Elwyn turned to see the Mandalorian working at it with a small zapping device. They would have jumped back in fear at the close proximity with the killer, but their body felt… stiff and tired. 'Well that's new,' they thought. Feeling this sore never happened usually unless they did too much dancing, but that wouldn't warrant their whole body being in pain.

“You awake?” he spoke, his voice filtering through the modulator.

They could only nod, their voice dry and hoarse. 

“You must have lost a lot of blood,” he spoke again.

Elwyn looked at the wound, the device closing it up slowly.

“What are you doing?” They asked croakily. 

He looked at Elwyn before going back to their wound, “I’m closing it up.”

They nodded, leaning their head back in the chair, wincing at the movement. Silence soon set in around them both, the only sound could be heard was from the device that was zapping away at Elwyn’s arm and the steady hum of the ship’s engine. Despite their circumstance at the moment, they felt almost peaceful sitting there. Elwyn looked towards him again, yet he didn’t look at them, continuing his work on their shoulder.

“Do you have a name?” Elwyn asked him, their voice now coming back. 

“just call me Mando,” he said simply. 

He didn’t return the question, to which they found quite rude, “The name’s Elwyn.”

He hummed as a reply as he finished up their shoulder, getting up and sitting back in the pilot seat. Elwyn groaned as they sat up more in their chair, "How much did you bash me around whilst I was knocked out? My body is so sore." 

"You did fall pretty hard. You knocked into a few crates when you fell," 

"Oh... Sorry," Elwyn slumped down in their seat as he jumped to hyper speed, zooming through space. They felt their stomach clench and they gripped onto the seat tightly. The ship soon slowed again, and they felt bile rise in their throat again.

“I’ll drop you off at the nearest planet,” he spoke, flicking some switches, “I’ll give you some credits to start yourself off.”

Elwyn looked at him, their eyes widening, “Excuse me!? I’m not living anywhere else! Take me back to Navarro!”

He turned to them, anger lining his voice, “I can’t go back there, I’m on the run form the Creed.”

Elwyn threw their arms up in anger, storming out of the cockpit and down the ladder. They crossed their arms, feeling anger rise up in their chest as they paced back and forth in the main hanger. As much as Elwyn was angry, they felt extremely miserable. The home they grew up in, the house they spent ages trying to purchase. All of it was gone. Way out of their reach. They growled out in anger and struck the wall of the ship before sinking to the ground, tears breaking free from their eyes.

Elwyn then felt a small tug on their shirt from behind. They turned in anger to find a small little green thing. They tilted their head to the side as it smiled up at Elwyn. They reached their finger out to it and it took it with an eager little wiggle of its body. They smiled as it let Elwyn pet its little fuzzy head.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Mando growled, scooping him up in his arms. They got up, glaring at him. 

“I wasn’t going to hurt him you dick!” Elwyn shouted, “He came over to me actually!” 

Elwyn wiped at their face, remembering they had just been crying a couple seconds ago. They walked over to a crate and sat, looking away from the man. He sighed, putting the green thing in a little bedding area. He closed the door to it and turned towards Elwyn.

“You’re upset,”

They let out a loud laugh, “Give this man a medal! He figured it out!” 

He shook his head, “I understand how you’re upset, but you should understand how I can’t go back there,”

They got up, arms crossed and glaring right at him, “Then I’m staying with you. I’m not living anywhere else.”

He shook his head, “No.”

“Yes!”

He sighed heavily, climbing back up into the cockpit, “Get some rest.”

Their arms fell to their side and they sighed, leaning down against the wall of the ship. Despite jumping to hyper speed earlier, Elwyn knew that this was going to be a long flight.


	2. High Hopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio have landed on the planet of Sorgan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to split this into two parts. I thought I could write the whole episode out in one chapter but... nope! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Elwyn awoke to the shaky landing of the ship. They looked around, remembering where they were. The ramp to the ship was lowered, and they saw Mando walking away with the child.

“Wait!” Elwyn cried, stumbling slightly as they got up. He stopped to turn to them, waiting for them to catch up.

“I was going to come back,” he spoke.

“I’d rather not be stuck in a ship all day,”

He started walking again, Elwyn following behind him quickly. The grass tickled against their legs, birds and animals making noise all around the group. The sounds soon got louder as the group approached the forest. Despite the peaceful sounds of the forest, it soon became very awkward. Elwyn looked to him seeing if he’d want to strike up a conversation. Yet he seemed just as awkward as them. People of little words him and Elwyn. 

The group soon saw a little town in the distance as they all made their way out of the forest. 

“I guess this is where I’ll be staying for the rest of my life,” they sighed.

He looked to Elwyn, “what?”

“You said you were going to dump me at the nearest planet! Or did you forget?”

He shook his head and continued forward. They all made their way into a little bar. It was littered with people, visiting soldiers and town’s folk. Mando was really focused on one particular soldier. A woman sitting at a small table. The group found a table and a waitress approached.

“How can I help you today?” she asked.

“some broth for the little one and this one here,” he said, pointing to the child and Elwyn.

“I have a name,” they mumbled.

“Anything for you?” she asked him, to which he shook his head, yet he pointed to the girl he was staring at before.

“Her, what’s she doing here?”

“She’s been here for a while now,”

Elwyn begun zoning out, reaching out to the child, and letting him play around and examine their hand. Ever since this morning they were in a slump. A perfectly reasonable slump. Being so far away from home on a remote planet they knew nothing about with little to no tech and probably no interest in a street dancer, really made them feel like Bantha shit. 

“Hey, you good?” Elwyn heard Mando ask. They looked up at him with an expressionless face.

“yeah, sure. I’m fine,” they mumbled. 

He sighed, looking to the kid then back at them.

“I’ll be back, you watch the kid. Ok?”

Elwyn nodded, moving their chair closer to the little green kid. Mando got up and moved outside, following the girl from the smaller table. The little guy looked at Elwyn with his big black eyes and their heart melted. If they were to be stuck here, Elwyn would miss his little face. 

“Here you go you two!” the waitress said, placing the two bowls of broth in front of them. Elwyn smiled up at her and thanked her. They dug into their broth, shovelling it down quickly to thirst their hunger. They smiled into the bowl. 

“This is really good! Are you enjoying it kiddo?” 

They turn to the kid’s seat, yet he wasn’t there. Elwyn got up, panic filling their chest as they look around the bar. They soon spotted the little shuffling form retreat outside the back. They sprung forward, weaving through the other customers, and moved outside, looking around and locking eyes with the little green child. 

“Found you!” Elwyn cried, jumping forward towards him, catching him as they crashed to the ground. 

“Got you!” They laughed, before they noticed two familiar figures on the ground before them. Mando and the girl from the bar had their blasters drawn, aimed at each other’s heads. Elwyn could only smile awkwardly, adding an awkward laugh along with it. 

“Hi...” 

~~~ 

They all sat at a table together. The girl, or Cara, was sipping on some broth whilst she talked to Mando. She’d been here for a week apparently, and that she was an ex-Rebel Alliance Shock Trooper. Elwyn continued entertaining themself with the child as he sipped at his own leftover broth. 

“We’re going,” he spoke, dragging Elwyn up out of their chair. 

“What? Where?” they asked, “I thought I was staying here!”

He stopped dragging them and the kid away to turn and face Elwyn, “How good are you with a blaster?”

They looked at him with wide eyes, trying to process the words he just said, “I’m sorry?”

He sighed, “How good are you at fighting?”

“I mean, I’ve never used a gun, but I could probably throw a good punch or two,” 

“Good enough,” he said, dragging Elwyn away to his ship again.

~~~ 

The sky was growing dark now that they’d finally reached the ship, which they found out was called the Razor Crest. Elwyn stretched out their arms and sat down inside the ship, feeling tired over the distance they all had walked. They soon heard a quiet muffled conversation from outside the Crest. Soon the voices faded and Mando walked up the ramp to inside the Crest.

“We’re going somewhere, help me pack,”

In no time, they’d all loaded everything on this small floating vehicle, and the group made a stop near the girl form the bar’s camp sight. Elwyn soon found out her name was Cara. They all made themselves comfortable on the back of the vehicle and made the trek into the forest. 

“So, who’s this?” Cara asked, "You never introduced me." 

Mando looked at Elwyn. He felt his cheeks burn. He’d forgotten their name. he gulped, hoping staring at them would get them to tell Cara themself.

“Are you kidding me? You forgot my name?”

He turned away from them, “I didn’t think you’d be staying.”

Cara erupted into laughter, whilst Elwyn felt their cheeks heat up in anger. They glared at him, their eyes burning into the side of his helmet. He must have felt their stare as he looked at them.

“It’s Elwyn Fable. There, I even gave you my last name this time!” They spoke, punching him lightly in the arm. They pulled away quickly, realising the… friendly expression they had just inflicted on Mando. Plus, the Beskar kind of hurt despite the light punch. Maybe they should have disagreed with staying around the masked bounty hunter.

~~~ 

They’d finally reached the small fishing town. Apparently, they’d been experiencing raids lately and that Mando, Cara and Elwyn had to stop them. Simple as that. A kinda woman guided Elwyn towards a small empty hut and let them get cosy. She smiled as they sat atop the small bed.

“Is it ok?” she asked.

They smiled up at her, “It’s definitely better than sleeping against a metal wall!”

She smiled widely. Elwyn got up, taking her hands in theirs, “seriously, thank you,”

She squeezed their hands, “No, thank you for agreeing to help us,”

Elwyn looked to notice Mando standing in the doorway. The lady excused herself quickly upon noticing the towering metal giant behind her and made her way out of the hut. He moved to let her leave before walking inside. Elwyn turned their back to him, unpacking their boombox from its bag and placing it on the little dresser inside the hut. 

“What do you want?”

“I’m here to say sorry,”

“For what?” They turned to look at him as they turned on the boombox, letting it quietly play a tune in the background as they unpacked the little things Mando had gifted them to live in here temporarily. 

“For forgetting your name. and being rude to you,”

“Look, it’s fine. I get it, you fly solo,” Elwyn smiled slightly to him. They slipped off their platform boots and placed them down beside their new bed. He approached slowly; his arm reached out slightly. He soon moved it back down to his side quickly as Elwyn turned back around to face him, that’s when they had to look up further to see his helmet. God this man is tall. 

That’s when Elwyn felt their cheeks heat up. They were about eye level with his chest. Before with their boots on, they were almost eyelevel with him. Elwyn was so used to that distance that they hadn’t realised they’d be shorter without the boots on. They gulped, trying to clear their head again.

“I’m going to stay here Mando. I know you don’t want me around,” Elwyn said, sitting down on the bed, “This place is nice anyway.”

“Are you sure? You can come along if you want,”

They smirked up at the man, “Is the chrome dome regretting telling me to leave?”

A small huff came through his modulator. A humorous huff. It was good enough to be counted as a laugh. Elwyn got up, shimmying over to the boombox, flowing to the beat of the song playing. Mando could just watch them move as they swayed their hips side to side as they rummaged through their bags, looking for a new song to play on their music device. Elwyn soon found a nice slow song and put it in the boombox. They turned to Mando, smiling as the music filtered through the room.

“How long have you been dancing for?” he asked, almost mumbling.

Elwyn looked to him, their dancing trance breaking at the sound of his voice. They dusted off their shirt and looked up at him.

“For as long as I could remember. I have some experience,” they started, “My parents sent me to a dance school, but it was just fancy dancing. So, I left.”

“Fancy dancing?” was all Mando could reply.

Elwyn laughed, “Yeah. I’d rather do my own thing. No plan, just dance to the beat, do what ever move comes to my mind.”

Mando could only nod as he watched Elwyn move to the slow beat of the song coming from their music device. He had to admit, he had seen them dancing in the streets of Navarro before. And despite knowing nothing about the artform, he thought that they were good. He’d never admit it out loud though. He nodded, looking out towards the door. Maybe he should leave before he slips and says anything else.

He turns to them before leaving, “Are you sure you don’t want to tag along with me and the kid?”

Elwyn turns to face him, a smile wide on their face, “I’m sure. Just promise me that when you can go back that you come to get me?”

He nodded, walking out of their hut. Elwyn couldn’t stop smiling. Despite being on a remote planet they knew nothing about, it felt nice to get over being angry at the tall metal man. Elwyn smiled wider as they let the music fuller take their body. They drifted across the floor of their hut, shaking to the beat and twirling. 

He sat in his own hut, removing his helmet as he picked up the tray of food that was given to him. He watched the kids playing in the fields, taking care of the little green kid as he picked up a frog from the tall grass. He soon heard the familiar thumping of music coming from the hut adjacent to him. Mando craved into the curiosity and turned his head to peer out the window on the other side of his own hut, which just happened to look straight into Elwyn’s.

They had turned up their music louder, the song had turned into a much faster paced beat, something that suited Elwyn more. He watched them move gracefully, then ridged to match with the beats, twirling, getting low before springing up again. Something about watching them dance made him feel…

He shook his head, turning away from them and putting his helmet back on. He hadn’t eaten much food, but that’s fine. He didn’t fancy it anyway. 

~~~  
Cara and Mando had left to look around in the forest early next morning. Elwyn had said that they’d go with them, but sadly, they were left behind. I guess that’s what you guess for sleeping in! They walked to stand in the doorway of their hut, looking out towards the forest.

“They could’ve at least come get me, I wouldn’t have cared,”

They felt a tug at my pants soon after. They looked down to notice one of the kids from the village beside them. Elwyn smiled, crouching down to their level.

“Hey kid! What is it?”

She gulped, before smiling slightly, playing with the fabric of her dress, “I heard from the metal man that you danced.”

Elwyn let out a breath of amusement from her nose. Something about the kid not knowing what he actually was, was amusing.

“And the metal man is correct. I do dance,”

She cleared her throat before looking at me with big pleading brown eyes, “Could you dance for us? My friends made me come over and ask.”

Their heart melted at the offer, which made them bounce up from where they were and rush inside their hut to grab their boombox. The kid’s smile was so bright when she saw Elwyn return with their boombox.

“Ok! Lead me to your friends!” They smiled. The kid was practically skipping with joy as she led Elwyn to her friends. They would have felt nervous to perform, as anyone would be. But performing for these kids who were eager to see them dance made Elwyn’s heart sore and butterflies disappear. Sometimes when they danced on the streets of Nevarro, people would chuck food or cans at them, or not pay, or clap. They had to get used to that sort of crowd. And it wasn’t easy. But having knowledge of their audience made their confidence sore through the atmosphere!

The girl clapped her hands once she had led them back to her group of friends out in the field. Elwyn placed their boombox down and smiled at the kids. Mando’s kid was seated amongst the children, smiling at the familiar face of Elwyn. 

“Hey guys! I heard you wanted to see me dance!”

They all nodded, smiles spreading wider. Elwyn knelt down to their boombox, putting on a funky upbeat song that would hopefully be interesting and wowing enough for the kids. 

The beat soon started coming in and Elwyn got up. Ready. The first part was more aggressive, so they made their moves sharp and ridged, catching on the beats, becoming one with the instruments, moving with the sounds of the song. It soon slowed, building up to the chorus. So Elwyn slowed down her movements as though they were in slow-mo. Graceful almost. But as the beat started building, they combined both feelings before springing into action. Pumped up moves, exciting moves, trying to entrance the kids in the actions. 

They enjoyed seeing their faces as they danced, seeing their smiles, hearing their gasps at certain moves. It all added to the love Elwyn had for dancing. Despite the kid’s request, Elwyn never danced for others. They danced for themselves. They just happened to show others. It was a freeing thing. And every time Elwyn did it, they felt freer from the earth than ever before. The song soon ended, and the kids erupted into applause. 

Elwyn bowed low, thanking them for their time. They all begun shouting for another one before they felt a gloved hand grasp their arm. They turned to the culprit, only to stare straight into the helmet of the Mandalorian. 

“Come with me,” he said. Elwyn nodded, picking up their boombox and saying goodbye to the kids.

Mando pulled them into his hut, Cara not far behind.

“What is it? Did you find the bandits?” Elwyn asked.

“There’s something worse we need to worry about,” Cara spoke, looking out the window, then back to Elwyn.

“What? What could be worse than a couple bandits?”

“An AT-ST,”

Elwyn could only tilted their head at the two. Cara rolled her eyes and Mando could only shake his head.

“It’s a weapon from the empire. A very dangerous and powerful weapon,”

Their eyes widened, “Can you do anything about it?”

They both shook their heads, “We’re going to tell them to leave,” Mando replied.

Elwyn’s heart sunk. They had grown attached to this village and knowing that these two couldn’t help it made Elwyn’s heart hurt for the small fishing town. They turned, looking out towards the forest. There had to be something. Something to stop it. 

Cara watched them turn away from the both of them. She looked to Mando, yet he was looking away from both of them. They both knew they had to break the news to the town, but seeing Elwyn look so hurt about it, pulled at something in Cara’s heart.

“Elwyn, are you ok?” Cara asked.

“The village is going to be so upset, there has to be something you can do”

“We can’t do anything,”

Elwyn twisted around, rage bubbling in their chest as they threw their arms up in anger, “You sure?! You both seem smart enough to think of a plan to destroy the thing without properly engaging with it!”

“There is nothing we can do,” Mando snapped.

Elwyn took a deep breath in, holding down their rage as best they could before storming out. Despite being here for such a short amount of time, this sweet little village didn’t need to hear this awful news. They’d spent so long here, and they knew that telling the village to leave wouldn’t go down very well.

Cara looked towards Mando as he goes to sit down on a chair beside the window, “you should go after them,”

“What would I even say to them? Sorry that I’m trying to protect the village?”

“Try and explain to them that you’re doing what you think is best,”

He laughed slightly, turning to look out the window, “They won’t listen. They get angry too easily to listen.”

Cara shook her head, approaching the doorway of his hut, “Maybe if you didn’t just brush them off and treated them nicely, they’d probably listen to you. After all, you did refuse to take them back home. The least you could do is be a bit nice to them,” She smirked, looking back at him slightly, "Besides, I saw you watching them dance in the field today."

And with that, Cara left. Mando let out a sigh, looking out over the village to spot Elwyn sitting in the grass with the child, stroking his head as he picked at the blades of grass.  
“there has to be something you can do,” Elwyn’s voice echoed in his head. Something. There has to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that chapter! Fun fact, I write to actual songs when I write dances scenes. It helps get the feel of how the characters dances and moves. So yeah! Again, if there are any errors, awkward phrasing etc, please let me know as I'm wanting to improve as a writer!


	3. Ogre Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elwyn and the village get ready to take on the AT-ST and raiders. Possible romance begins to blossom!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of chapter taken from the song Ogre Battle by Queen! I think many of you may have noticed that all the chapters have been named after songs lol. I'm not really good at writing fight scenes, so I hope I've done ok! Anyway, enjoy!

Elwyn sat in the field around the village. Just as they begun to think that Mando wasn’t that bad of a guy, he had to spring that on Elwyn. There had to be something. Something to destroy the AT-ST without engaging it front on. They sighed, laying back in the tall grass, hoping that each blade around them would wrap around their body and just swallow them up into the ground. 

“Elwyn,” a familiar voice called. It was Mando. Elwyn sighed heavily, rolling over in the grass, not really caring about how dirty their white shirt would get or how much leaves or grass would catch in their hair.

“What are you doing?” he asked, standing over her.

“Waiting for the dirt to swallow me up and make me a fossil,” They said sarcastically. 

He let out a single laugh, biting back the rest of the chuckle that had almost surfaced, “Sure.”

Elwyn sat up, dusting off their shirt and letting out yet another heavy sigh. Mando squatted down in front of them, not making eye contact. Elwyn couldn’t either. They sat there for a while, letting the muttering of the town’s folk filter through the air and mix with the sloshing of water and the creaking of frogs and bugs. The wind rustled the leaves, blowing hair into Elwyn’s face. They tucked their side fringe behind their ear before clearing their throat.

“I’m sorry-” They both started in unison. Elwyn giggled slightly at it, offering Mando to go first.

“We talked to the town,”

“My guess is that they didn’t take it very well,”

Mando shook his head, glancing slightly at them, “We have a plan,”

Elwyn looked to Mando, looking directly into his visor, “You mean?”

He nodded. Elwyn smiled, apology dying on both their tongue. Their heart sored. Knowing that the village wouldn’t be leaving here was a relief. Mando got up, offering a hand to Elwyn. They looked at it, examining the orange-tipped leather glove. Earlier, they probably wouldn’t have taken it, slapped it away and gotten up themselves even. But they put on a smile and gripped onto his hand, hoisting them up off the ground.

~~~ 

Cara was teaching half the town’s people how to fight with spears. Mando taught the other half how to shoot. Elwyn watched the lessons from a distance, letting the quiet thrum of their music fill their ears. The kids were playing in front of them, prancing around the green alien happily. 

Elwyn couldn’t help but smile looking at both groups of people. Seeing the town eager enough to learn how to fight to save their village made them somewhat proud. Elwyn soon begun tapping to a made-up beat on their knees, slightly grooving to the imaginary song that they begun creating in their head.

“Earth to Elwyn!” Cara called, snapping them out of their jam session. 

They stood up quickly, “Yes?”

She pointed out towards Mando who was making his way out into the open field of the village, “He wants you to go to him.”

Elwyn could only nod as they begun speed walking their way towards him. The grass soon grew longer as they grew closer to him. Mando had long stopped, propping up makeshift targets in the grass. 

“you wanted to see me or something?” Elwyn spoke, finally caught up to him.

He handed them a handgun, a very nice and sleek sliver handgun. The handle was a deep brown, cushiony enough to hold without gloves. Elwyn took it in their hands, gripping it steadily and examining it further.

“What’s this for?”

“Target practice,” Mando spoke, standing away from the makeshift targets and allowing Elwyn to fire when ready. Elwyn gulped, aiming the gun at the closest target in front of them. They pulled the trigger.

Missed.

They took a deep breath, aiming for another one.

Missed.

Another one!

Missed.

They rotated their wrist, aiming, taking a deep breath. This time it will hit.

Missed.

Elwyn had aimed at every target yet didn’t hit any of them. They couldn’t bare to look over at Mando. That threatening T-shaped visor digging into their soul. Despite not even looking at him, they could feel his gaze boring holes into the side of their head. 

“I’m shit,”

“Your form is wrong, and you’re holding the gun awkwardly,”

Elwyn sighed, shoulders and head drooping low. Mando could only watch their form shrink at his critiques. He shook his head, approaching them from behind. He gripped their arms, pulling their hands towards him to position their hands correctly against the gun.

“Grip it tightly, but not too tightly. You don’t want to hurt your hands,”

Elwyn could only nod as they felt his armour radiate a cold temperature against their back. It sent shivers up their spine, blood rushing to their freckled, sun kissed cheeks. He soon positioned them in a better stance, shuffling them slightly to the side, angling their foot slightly to the left. It wasn’t perfect, and they looked really awkward, but he knew that Elwyn would get comfortable in the position soon and it would look more natural. He moved away again, his hands lingering on their arms for a little longer than usual. He nodded at them once he was out of the firing line.

Elwyn could only gulp, trying to shake the heat off their cheeks from the close contact Mando had just made. It wasn’t skin on skin contact, but it did make their heart pound. They’d never felt anything this intimate, yet… kind. They shook their head again, suppressing these feelings down before taking aim, feeling their position more, and fired.

A perfect hit. Another shot. A perfect hit. 

Soon, Elwyn had hit all the targets perfectly. They turned towards Mando, jumping up and down slightly in their spot. On their face, was the most cheek-splitting, shit-eating grin, Mando had ever seen. He felt his own cheeks heat up behind the helmet.

“You did good. Now you just need to practice more, then you’ll be a master in no time,”

Elwyn jumped into the air with excitement, dropping the blaster. Their triumphant laughter filtering through the air. They had never been prouder in their life. Somehow, shooting all those targets made Elwyn feel more powerful than when they danced. 

“Thank you for teaching me!”

Mando only tilted his head to them, a smile tugging at his lips. He thanked the gods that they couldn’t see it. He felt the inside of his helmet grow hotter as his cheeks burned from watching them parade around happily, like what they did was the most amazing thing in the world. He had to get out of there. Stop staring. 

“Meet me here early in the morning,” He spoke, turning quickly where he stood, “There’s more practice to be done.”

He soon started walking away, leaving the makeshift targets in the field. Elwyn could only stand there, watching his back as he got smaller in the distance. Their hands soon weaved together, remembering the gentle guiding touch of his leather gloves on their own fingerless-gloved hands. Their heart clenched tightly in their chest at the thought of him holding their hands again. Despite the tough exterior, and the menacing aura around him, his touch was gentle, careful, precise.

“Ugh, stop it!” Elwyn growled, hitting the sides of their head with their hands, “Stop thinking like that!” They picked up the blaster off the ground, and stormed off towards the village, avoiding his hut as much as possible. They needed to sleep. Clear their head before tomorrow. 

~~~ 

The sun was barely up, just barely peeking over the horizon. But it was bright enough to see a bit. Elwyn pulled on their boots before rummaging around for something they remembered Mando giving them. A belt with a holster. They finally found it in a bag of theirs and they hooked it around their waist. It was a nice brown colour with the buckle being a shiny gold. They adjusted their shirt and dusted off their pants before leaving to the same spot that they were practicing yesterday. It wasn’t long before they reached the area that both them and Mando had practiced. 

They un-holstered their blaster, taking aim, and shooting. It was something to do whilst waiting for the tin man. Something to clear their head. Last night was a sleepless night. Every time they thought sleep was about to claim them, another thought about the bounty hunter would pester them again. They soon heard a crunching within the grass. 

They whipped around quickly, gun at the ready to aim at whoever was approaching. It was dark, so they could barely see, apart from the peeking sun across the horizon. They soon saw the silhouette of the approaching person. They fired, yet the person quickly dodged, sprinting forward, and grasping Elwyn’s wrist.

The strength of his fingers around their wrist sent their heart into their throat, making the surface of their skin blaze with fear. Elwyn tried yanking their hand back, but found themselves overpowered easily, his hand only wrapping tighter around theirs. 

“Drop your weapon, it’s only me!” his familiar voice spoke. Mando.

They dropped it quickly, and his grip loosened, letting Elwyn free. It was a shock to the soft touch that they experienced yesterday, yet they did just try to shoot him. Elwyn cleared their throat, picking the blaster back up and placing it in their holster at their hip.

“Sorry, I couldn’t really see you,” They muttered awkwardly, their eyes now adjusting the growing sunlight. 

The surrounding area was covered in a deep orange now. Mando nodded, before turning and walking towards the targets. He soon begun removing his armour, but keeping his helmet on. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking off my armour, so you don’t break your bones,”

“Break my bones?”

He finished up quickly before approaching Elwyn again. The only thing clinging to his body now where his normal clothes that sat under the armour. His helmet looked really out of place without the rest of his armour, yet he also looked somewhat… normal without it too. He soon rose his fists up, getting into a fighting stance.

“We’re going to be practicing our fighting,” he spoke, nodding to Elwyn to begin.

Elwyn put their fists up, getting into a fighting pose. 

He stared at them for a long moment, studying them. They had begun to circle around each other for a while. Elwyn had no illusions about themself nor their abilities. Mando was the strongest, the tallest, the best fighter. He wore that Beskar with pride and carried it with pride in the way he fought, even walked. And despite being shred of his armour to give Elwyn an advantage, he still carried that same proudness around him.

Yet Elwyn was daring. Quiet one time, snappy the next. What they lacked in skill, they made up in sheer drive and stubbornness. He could pummel them into the ground and Elwyn would still try to fight back despite whatever injury had been inflicted onto them.

The tension soon snapped. Elwyn lunged. 

They attacked in short bursts, knowing they were too weak to throw punches, to attack offensively the way Mando probably would. It was a good thing then, that Elwyn had their dancer skills and flexibility to make up for it. 

Mando stepped around them. He hadn’t even taken a shot once, which they found somewhat infuriating.

“Stop playing,” Elwyn snapped, a newfound pizazz and fighting flare shining through. They were back to circling each other like prowling Varactyl, “Throw a punch already.” 

His eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, and in a flash, he clipped Elwyn at the side of their waist, making them cry out and stumble. But it was good. He was finally fighting back. Which Elwyn could only smile at. They watched his punch, how he moved, how he threw it. Perfect for their next move.

He went to throw another punch, but Elwyn saw it coming this time. They gripped onto his arm and swung underneath his legs, sliding beneath him, and kicking their legs out. Yet he was still one step ahead of Elwyn. He grabbed their wrist with his other arm, making them squeak as he lifted them easily, tossing them over his shoulder. He obviously intended for them to hit the ground, but Elwyn quickly steadied themselves, gripping onto the cloth of his shirt. Elwyn smirked, getting ready for their next move. But they had to be careful about it.

They slid, locking their body around his front. They grabbed at the back of his shirt just near his neck, forcing his helmet against their stomach, effectively blinding him. They could hear him grunt behind his helmet as his gloved fingers grasped at their shirt. 

Elwyn swallowed before smirking, ready to make their next move. Swinging upright, They closed their thighs around his neck, holding his helmet down, just in case it popped off. They could have easily let it raise off his head by the sheer force they had wrapped their legs around his neck, but they knew about his beliefs despite not telling them front on. Even though this was a practice sparring match, Elwyn still chose to remain respectful. His fingers dug into the fabric of their pants, one hand tightening around their calf to throw them off. They threw themselves back. He stumbled, just the slightest bit, but it was enough. 

He caught himself, however, it was just enough to drop his guard down. With him still frazzled after catching himself, Elwyn managed their feet towards his shoulders. With one push, they backflipped off of him, pushing him to the ground with a harsh thud. Mando grunted in pain, coughing from the force of impact against the dirt. They quickly scrambled back over to him, straddling his waist and restraining his hands above his heads with their own hands. His hands twitched, meaning he was ready to throw them off at any moment. 

“I win!” They grinned. That stupid shit-eating grin. 

He grunted, but it was a good enough of a surrender for Elwyn. They sat back, whooping, and raising their arms, practically wiggling where they sat, which, if Elwyn wasn't so caught up in their victory, would have caused them to back away with a blush on their cheeks from the... inappropriate position they sat in. 

Suddenly, their vision went sideways. He forced himself back, bending an arm around their waist and throwing them to the dirt. Surprised, Elwyn let a groan of disappointment leave their lips, their eyes meeting the black abys that was the T-shape visor of his helmet. 

“Rule one of fighting, don’t get cocky,”

They kicked their legs out. He caught it, and for the next few minutes, Elwyn spent trying to wrestle Mando. They lunged at him like an angry loth cat, scratching and hissing as they threw uncalculated and random punches towards Mando. He on the other hand, kept catching each hit, holding them away from him at times even. His hands quickly flew out, grasping at both of Elwyn’s hands and pinning them over their head. They tried head-butting him, completely ignoring that he was wearing Beskar and it would probably knock them out, so he dodged their poor attempt. They tried so hard fighting against his grip, straining and trying to pry at his palms. He however, sat unmoving, just staring down at them with a blank stare, waiting for Elwyn to just tire themselves out.

It only made them want to punch him more. 

He must’ve tired of their futility, because he sighed heavily, tightening his fingers around them. 

“I win,” he spoke, imitating them from before, but in a more mocking way. Quieter, less obnoxious. 

Elwyn panted heavily, glaring up at him. They didn’t want to give into that response. Their insides burned with humiliation and they tried to focus as much of it as they could in their stare, hoping it would burn through his helmet. It didn’t work though.

Something in their face soon changed from stubbornness to slight fear. Their eyes widened as they winced against his grip. Their breaths grew ragged and they squinted their eyes shut. Mando tilted his head slightly before loosening his grip around them, standing away from them to put his armour back on.

They stood up slowly, staring at him as they rubbed at their wrists. They were lightly marked with red, the faint outlines of his tight grip. Elwyn finally caught their breath, gripping at their shirt and swallowing hard. Despite their struggling at first, it soon turned to panic. The aggressive hold, the intense stare, and the possibility of this happening to Elwyn in the future with an enemy, caused Elwyn to think back to their past. It was an awful feeling, and they tried clearing their head again, moving to pace back and forth, rubbing their hands together soothingly. 

“Are you alright?” Mando asked, breaking Elwyn from their pacing.

“Y-yeah. I’m good,”

“Are you sure? I didn’t hurt you too badly?”

Elwyn could only shake their head, smiling slightly. To scared to actually speak, thinking their voice would fail them if they uttered a single word. Mando lingered slightly, before turning back towards the village. Elwyn gulped, slowly following behind Mando. They both passed the kids, Mando nodding towards them and Elwyn waving to them with a kind smile. Before Mando could walk back into his hut, He stopped Elwyn, touching them slightly on the shoulder. They jumped back at first before looking into the T-shaped visor.

“Sorry about this morning. I didn’t mean to hurt you,”

“It’s fine. I’m getting used to it,”

Mando could only sigh, “Tonight is the night. Get ready.”

Elwyn nodded, making their way back to their hut. They collapsed onto their bed, forgetting to remove their shoes and they quickly got comfy, finally drifting off into a much-needed sleep.

~~~ 

_“I don’t care if she hates it!”_

_“But dear!”_

_The sound of a slap echoed through the small house. A child sat alone and cowering in the bedroom closet, flinching as the sound filled the room. The thundering sounds of the man’s steps grew closer and closer._

_All the child could do was cover their mouth in fear of being found._

~~~ 

“Elwyn!” 

They shot up from the bed, panting heavily. A strong yet caring grip held onto their forearms, steadying them upright. Cara. 

“Are you ok?” she asked, looking at the startled person before her. 

“I-I just had a nightmare,” Elwyn spoke, swallowing hard and catching their breath. They hadn’t dreamt anything of such in a while. Something about yesterday and this morning must have triggered something. 

“Ok. At least it was that,” Cara sighed, letting go of them, “It’s dark now. It’s time.” 

Elwyn could only nod as they got up from their bed, placing their blaster back in their holster and following Cara out into the darkened village. Everyone was setting up. The plan was to infiltrate one of the camps and lure them towards the village with the AT-ST. and this time, Elwyn was coming with both Cara and Mando. 

“I didn’t realise how long I had slept for,” Elwyn muttered, looking around at the lantern lit town. 

“Mando had apparently bought in lunch for you and found you sleeping,” 

Elwyn’s heart could only clench at that name. they continued towards the edge of the forest, Mando waiting for them. They all nodded to each other and begun their trek. After weaving through the darkness of the forest, they had finally reached one of the bandit camps. Cara quickly takes out a sentry before the make their way inside the tent. Cara soon begins planting detonators around the inside, turning them on. 

“Guys!” Mando cried, the tent soon filling with Klatooinians. The bandits. They engaged in a fist fight with Mando. Cara joined in. 

“Elwyn! Plant your detonators!” Elwyn nodded, reaching inside their pockets, and pulled out their three detonators. They begun placing them around the tent, weaving past all the bandits with ease. Last one! 

Before they could place it, they were struck in the back with a fist. Elwyn fell to the ground, dropping the detonator, yet it turned on anyway as it hit the floor. Elwyn twisted over onto their back, shooting up and lunging at the Klatooinian. He was shocked at the amount of ferociousness they had in them. They threw quick punches, hitting him most of the time, but some were caught in his fist. Elwyn smirked as he caught their punch. With their other hand, they gripped his arm, yanking his hand away from theirs before gripping into his shoulders and kneeing him in the stomach. He doubled over as Elwyn ran away, following Mando and Cara out of the tent. 

It soon erupted into a loud explosion, the orange and yellow from it lighting up the forest magnificently. Elwyn couldn't help but wow at it from over their shoulder as they sprinted back to the village. 

The AT-ST roared to life behind them in the distance, bright red eyes piercing through the darkness of the forest as other bandits surrounded it. 

“Let’s hope this works!” Cara cried as they all managed to make it back to the village, sprinting behind the barricades the villagers had set up. Elwyn pulled their gun out from their holster, getting comfortable in their crouched position. Waiting. 

The AT-ST soon emerged from the forest, red eyes blinding Elwyn, causing them to glance away slightly. It continued forward, closing in on the trap they all had set for it in one of the ponds. Yet it soon stopped short of it. Turning bright beaming searchlights on. 

It soon shot out a bomb towards the village, destroying one of the houses. Elwyn flinched, hearing the loud boom of the house blowing apart echo in their ear. Cara had ordered everyone to stay put, hiding behind the barricade still. The raiders soon appear form the darkness of the forest, their loud cries filling the air, and the villages open fire. Elwyn positioned themselves and took aim, firing quickly at the oncoming raiders. They were too caught up in the firing when they noticed Cara had started approaching the AT-ST, wadding through the pool of water, and egging the thing on. Elwyn’s eyes widened before going to spring forward, only for Mando to pull them back. 

“She knows what she’s doing!” he shouted over the blaster fire. Elwyn could only nod as they continued to fire at the bandits. The villagers soon shot forward passed the barricades and Elwyn shot forward too, firing madly at the raiders with their handgun. Adrenaline surged through their veins, pumping them to go further and fight harder. Cara soon exchanges fire with the AT-ST, firing blaster bolts through its viewfinder. Aggravated, the vehicle took the bait, finally charging forward into the pool. It sunk into the pool, stumbling before crashing to the ground, the loud creaking of metal echoing over the sound of the raider’s and villager’s cries. The Mandalorian rushed forward slamming a detonator inside the AT-ST, destroying it. Elwyn could only smile as the remaining Klatooinians retreated upon seeing their biggest weapon being destroyed. They made their way over to Mando and Cara, putting their blaster back into their holster. As they stood around the flaming wreck of the vehicle, they all revelled in the happy cheering of the villagers. 

~~~ 

Several weeks had passed and peace was finally upon the village. Elwyn was sitting in the field, watching over the children as they played with the Child. It felt nice to be nestled here in the quiet fishing village. Looking around, they knew it was a perfect place to stay, yet it wasn’t suited for someone like them. Noticing the gleaming silver of Beskar in the corner of Elwyn’s vision, they turned their head to follow Mando’s form approaching the young widow who was kind enough to give us a place to stay. 

They were talking, yet… something was off. She placed her hands on the side of his helmet, waiting for him to stop her, or say something. But he didn’t move. He felt at peace here, and settling down with the young widow sounded nice, yet it wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way. She begun to move his helmet up and off his head, yet he reached up gently to stop her, pulling the helmet back down. 

Elwyn had to look away. Seeing them so intimate pulled something in Elwyn’s stomach. They swallowed, rubbing their hands together soothingly. They had to control themselves. 

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang throughout the air. Elwyn shot to their feet, sprinting to where the sound came from with their blaster drawn. Cara was standing over a dead body, a rifle at his side. Elwyn looked at her and then at Mando who had finally showed up. 

“He was aiming at the child,” she spoke, leaning down to pick something up, “They’ll keep coming.” 

A tracking fob. Elwyn looks to Mando as Cara chucks the thing to the ground again. He knew he had to leave, but this time, he knew the child had to come too. 

~~~ 

The village people had finished packing up everything of Mando’s and loaded it onto the sled they had ridden on to the village before the raider fight. Elwyn looked to Mando as he sat onto the sled, the kids waving goodbye to the Child. He looked to me and Cara, his form of a goodbye. Yet he lingered on Elwyn longer, his gaze boring holes into their skull. Something about that longing stare, not even knowing his expression underneath that helmet, pulled at their heart again. The sled soon started slowly drifting off, leaving the peaceful fishing village. 

Mando had adjusted his position as he approached the edge of the forest, finally distant enough to breathe properly away from the gaze of the villagers. He looked up towards the trees, taking in his surroundings before he left with the Child. Speaking of which, he turned to him, watching as he looked on towards the village, still waving slightly. Mando shook his head, looking forward, before the familiar sounds of the kid’s happy babbling caused him to look his way again. 

“Wait!!!” someone cried. In the distance, was Elwyn, their things slung over their shoulders as they sprinted towards the sled. He got the vehicle to stop, letting Elwyn catch up to it. 

“I thought you were staying,” he spoke as they heaved, chucking their stuff into the sled with his own. 

They looked up to him, smirking, “I gotta keep moving too, even if it isn’t in the way you both are.” 

“But you will be if you’re seen with me and the kid,” 

“So?” they smiled, jumping onto the back of the sled beside Mando, “All adds to the fun!” 

They smiled that side-splitting grin again, their eyes crinkling as they giggled. Mando could only shake his head, getting the sled to continue forward again. 

Maybe… maybe it was best if they did come along. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I know I'm pumping these out quickly, but I've been very motivated to write this lately, so yeah! As always, if there is any errors or awkward phrasing etc, please tell me as I'm always ready to improve as a writer!


	4. It's Only a Paper Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew land on Tatooine, ready to take on another bounty as the ship is repaired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by It's Only a Paper Moon by Nat King Cole.
> 
> Hey guys! Another chapter! I might take a small break tomorrow and work on the next chapter after tomorrow, but who knows? I might pump another out tomorrow anyway! Today's chapter is super long, sorry. But I hope that's fine!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!!

It had been a couple days since leaving the planet of Sorgan. Elwyn was getting used to being onboard a ship, whilst both Mando and the Child where getting used to having another crew member around. It was more Mando than the kid. The green thing couldn’t care less. Just another person to pester, coo at, and snuggle with. Plus, with Elwyn agreeing to be his personal babysitter for the little womp rat, the Child had grown a strange attachment to them. So, more reason that Mando was the main one getting used to another human crew member.

It was the second time that day that Elwyn had to rush out of the cockpit to chuck up their guts. Yet luckily, the pause between said chuck ups were getting longer, which meant they were getting used to flying. Despite the gross parts of flying with Elwyn, Mando couldn’t help but pick up on things that Elwyn did around the ship.

First of all, they paced… a lot! They weren’t doing it as a bad thing, Mando had guessed. Like Elwyn had said to him, they just needed to keep moving. That’s the kind of person they were. Whilst pacing or sitting or standing still, they’d rub their hands together in a circular motion or clutch them together tightly. There were plenty of other habits he noticed, like how they picked at their nails, and most commonly, not make eye contact.

It was rare to see Elwyn really look Mando in the eye. Or where they thought his eyes would be. He’d notice them try sometimes, but they’d just end up looking somewhere closer on his helmet. For a while, Mando thought it was just him, but he soon noticed that they did it to everyone. Cara, the people in the fishing village on Sorgan. Even the Child sometimes.

Small habits like this made Mando’s heart feel… strange. Seeing such odd type of behaviour made Mando feel all the more at home around Elwyn. Yet whenever he felt content around them, he had to stop himself, force himself to think about something else. He wasn’t supposed to feel anything. Towards anyone. The Child was enough.  
The familiar sounds of the cockpit doors opening bought him out of his thinking state, noticing Elwyn approach the co-pilot seat beside him in the faint reflection of the window before him. They plopped down, sighing heavily as they continued looking out towards space.

“You ok?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m all good. I think I’m getting used to it now,” they groaned, rubbing at their eyes, “I also put the Child in his hammock.”

Mando nodded, continuing to fly. It wasn’t before long that he could hear steady and soft breathing coming from Elwyn. He turned slightly in his seat to notice that they had fallen asleep, their head drifted lazily to the right, letting their long side fringe fall away from their face. Their white hair seemed to glow against the darkness of space filtering through the cockpit window. His gaze soon drifted from their hair to their closed eyes, eyelashes brushing against their freckled covered skin. Their mouth parted slightly, making their lips look more prominent and-

Mando shook himself out of his daze, turning back around to face the front of the control panel. He couldn’t think those thoughts. Never. 

~~~ 

Elwyn was soon shaken awake by the quick movement of the ship weaving away from incoming blaster fire. They looked around, panic rising in their chest.

“What’s going on?” they cried.

“Another bounty hunter. He’s here for the Child,”

Elwyn could only grip onto their seat for dear life, turning their knuckles almost as white as their hair. Mando gripped the controls just as tight.

“Go take care of the Child!” He demanded, never leaving sight of the controls before him. Elwyn could only nod as they made their way down the ladder and into the main hanger of the ship. Soon the ship tilted, bringing Elwyn along with it. They stumbled slightly before regaining balance, only for the ship to tilt the other way, this time more quickly. They nearly slammed their head into the wall of the ship. They quickly regained balance again before shooting a glare towards the cockpit.

“Is this man trying to give me a concussion?”

They gripped tightly to the sides of the ship, making their way towards where the baby was. Yet before they could open it, Mando had tilted the ship again, causing Elwyn to smash their head into the control panel that opens up the little bedding area. 

“Dank Farrik!” They hissed as they fell to the floor, wincing in pain as the ship finally steadied. 

“Are you alright?” Mando called out. Elwyn covered their eyes, pinching at the bridge of their nose as they got up. 

“I swear to the maker, if I opened it by smashing my head into it, I’m going to smash his head into it,”

They looked and… there was the Child, staring up at them with the biggest grin on his face.

“Are you alright?” Mando spoke, climbing down the ladder to meet where Elwyn stood. 

They turned to him, rubbing their head, “Yeah, sure. Just opened this thing with my head due to your flying.”

Mando couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for them. They weren’t used to fly, which meant they had been throwing up a bunch, and now they had to deal with a head injury.

“How badly did you hit it?”

“I don’t know. Can’t really see it without a mirror,” they spoke, pulling their hand away from it. Sure enough, they had broken skin, but not enough to start bleeding. There was sure to be a nasty bruise though.

“It’s not that bad. Just a bit of broken skin,”

Elwyn let out a huge sigh, leaning against the wall beside them and sliding down it to sit.

“We’re going to have to stop and get some repairs,” he spoke again.

“How bad?”

“Left engine,”

Elwyn nodded, rubbing their forehead again as they winced slightly. Mando shook his head, heading back up into the cockpit again. He didn’t really want to stop to get repairs, but they couldn’t move on very far with a damaged engine. And he couldn’t afford to waist the emergency power either. Plus, he could use another job to get some more credits while he waits for repairs.

Elwyn looked to the green kid, smiling as it managed to get out of his hammock and make his way down to them. He let out a little coo before climbing up Elwyn and sitting on their lap.

“Did your dad’s flying wake you up?” They smiled, playing with the tip of one of his long ears. The only reply they got back was a pleased coo. Elwyn could only smile as they got up with the kid in their arms towards their own makeshift cot Mando had set up for Elwyn.

“Let’s get some rest, kiddo,” they smiled as they climbed inside, both bodies burying close together in a cute little embrace.

~~~ 

“Well aren’t you the cutest thing!”

Elwyn finally drifted awake, slowly sitting up on the cot to look around. They almost felt empty as though they had forgotten something. That’s when they realised. The Child!! They sprung up and out of the bedding area to see that the ramp to the ship was lowered and Mando was nowhere to be seen either. Elwyn rushed down the ramp, blaster at the ready to see a mechanic holding onto the kid.

“Hey! Give him back!” They growled, aiming the gun at her.

She jolted back in fright, gripping the Child closely to her chest, “Who are you?”

“Mando’s partner. I’m supposed to watch over him seeing the tin man’s gone,”

She eyed them suspiciously before putting the kid down, letting him run up to Elwyn again. She smirked as she watched Elwyn pick him up and hug him tightly. They soon made their way down the ramp towards the mechanic, gun back in its holster.

“Sorry about that. Mando would kill me if he came back and saw me not watching him,” Elwyn smiled kindly, “I’m Elwyn Fable.”

“Peli Motto,” she smiled back, looking from them to the kid. She soon continued her work back on the ship as Elwyn sat down outside and watched the Child run around and play in the sand.

“So, you’re his partner? Never thought he’d be one for that stuff,”

Elwyn looked up at her, “What stuff?”

“You know,” Her hands flailed around for second trying to find the correct words before she clapped them together, “That stuff.”

Elwyn’s eyes widened. Did she mean… romantic partner?? They shot up from where they were standing, shaking their head like crazy, “Oh no! It’s not like that!!”

Their cheeks soon started to grow red, their shirt feeling too small for their body. Peli only laughed, slapping her knee at Elwyn’s reaction. Their wide eyes soon narrowed at her giggling, huffing in defeat before sitting down again, drawing lines in the sand before them. 

“Besides, like you said, he’s not one for that stuff,” 

Silence soon settled around them. The only sounds that could be heard where the distant chattering of the town behind the walls of the repair bay and the zapping of electric tools. Elwyn’s mind couldn’t help but wonder after a while, thinking back to Sorgan with the woman. How she was clearly falling for Mando. That day when she touched his helmet. And he let her. Elwyn couldn’t help but ball her hand into a fist, biting down on their lip hard. They couldn’t be jealous. That was stupid. Something they shouldn’t think. The Mandalorian was a bounty hunter. A killer. Not a lover. They had to stop this. Their weird thoughts about the Beskar covered man. They hit the sides of their head again, hoping that the pain would clear their thoughts. But they wouldn’t stop. They stood quickly, picking up the child and taking him over to Peli.

“I’m going for a shower. Take care of the kid?”

“Of course, dear,” she smiled, climbing down from the engine. Elwyn returned the smile, walking into the Crest quickly, hoping that a cold shower would clear their head.

~~~ 

Elwyn soon finished up their shower, drying off and getting dressed again. Walking out of the ship, they were met with a rather angry Mandalorian staring down at Peli with the kid in her arms.

“Well, you shouldn’t leave the kid all alone!” Peli scolded him, “You even left your friend too.”

She pointed behind him towards Elwyn. Mando zoomed forward towards them, gripping them by their shirt’s collar and pulling them close to his visor.

“Where were you?” he growled.

Elwyn clenched their eyes shut, trembling at the sudden anger seething from him, “I was watching him before! I was just having a shower!” they whimpered. They turned their head away from him, not baring to open their eyes. Mando could feel their form tremble against his armour, so he let go, sighing heavily. He was too protective of the kid. And sometimes he'd think before acting when it came to the kid. He needed to calm.

“I’m sorry,”

Elwyn straightened out their shirt, still not looking at Mando. He let out a loud sigh, turning around and walking down the ramp again, Elwyn following close behind. He soon made his way out the back of the repair bay, meeting up with a man. Elwyn eyed him from behind Mando, and he eyed back. 

“Who’s this?” he asked, pointing to them. 

“It’s Elwyn. I’m Mando’s...” their voice caught in their throat, “friend.”

“The name’s Toro,” he smiled, holding out a hand to shake. Elwyn was hesitant at first, but took his hand lightly, shaking it. Mando climbed aboard a speeder bike, and Toro did the same.

“Wait! What about me?” Elwyn asked, standing beside Mando’s bike.

“This mission is too dangerous. You have to stay here,”

“But I thought-”

“Stay here,” he demanded. They soon zoomed off, leaving both Elwyn and Peli behind. Elwyn huffed, rubbing their hands together as they stormed back into the repair bay, Peli close behind. She adjusted the Child in her arms before clearing her throat, watching Elwyn pace back and forth, muttering to themselves. 

“I might have a spare speeder bike in the back,”

Elwyn’s head turned quickly towards Peli, stopping their pacing.

“You do?”

“I said I might. Let me go check,” she put the kid in Elwyn’s arms and made her way towards the back, rummaging around. Elwyn looked at the kid, smiling cheekily at him as he cooed. Peli soon returned with a speeder bike. It was a bit more run down than Mando’s and Toro’s, but it’ll do. 

“Thanks Peli,” They smiled, climbing onto the bike.

“You won’t tell him that I gave it to you?” she asked, slight fear lining her voice.

Elwyn shook their head, “I’ll say that I stole it from you.” 

She smiled, ushering them off quickly. They zoomed through the desert, sand kicking up behind them as they leaned forward, wind whipping through their face and ruffling through their hair. They felt the hum of the bike radiate through them as they continue forward, the suns starting to lower, but not enough to change the lighting over the golden sands of the dunes. That’s when they saw two figures in the distance. The bright shine of silver Beskar reflecting from in the distance.

They found them!

They tilted the speeder bike sideways as they grew closer, slowing the vehicle down. Mando sighed heavily as he eyed them climbing off the bike, grinning widely.  
“Looks like they couldn’t stay put!” Toro smirked, elbowing Mando.

He shook his head, approaching them. Elwyn could only stare up at him, that god-damn shit eating grin spreading over their face. He sighed, "I won't even asked where you got that bike."

He soon turned his focus back out beyond the dunes, noticing sand people with banthas. Elwyn soon noticed too, running to where both men were crouched down. They had never seen sand people before, but from what they heard, they were vicious creatures.

“I’ve heard the locals talking about them,” Toro muttered, looking through his binoculars.

“To them we’re the trespassers. They’re the locals,” Mando spoke up.

“Well, they better keep their distance,”

“Tell them yourself,” 

Elwyn could only watch them in awe, smiling at them with their banthas, “I’ve never seen one before. Only heard about them in stories.”

Suddenly, the familiar cry of the raiders sounded loudly beside them all. Elwyn sprung up, drawing their gun. Toro doing the same thing. Mando was quick to think, standing in front of the two before quickly waving his hands at them in surrender. He was talking to them.

Elwyn could only watch as the sand people moved their hands back in reply. It was fascinating to watch him communicate with them, moving his hands carefully as though he was speaking to them just as carefully. Elwyn put their gun back at their side and signalled for Toro to do the same thing. 

“What are you doing?” Toro asks.

“Negotiating passage across their land,”

Mando soon turns around, grasping at Toro’s binoculars and handing them to the sand people, ignoring his protests as he did it. The two creatures examined it, signalling them to move along quickly. It worked at least. They all climbed back on their bikes and took off into the desert again.

~~~ 

They soon reached a mound and Mando quickly dismounts, signalling for the both of them to get down. They do just that, looking over to where he was looking. It was a Dewback, another creature that Elwyn had heard of but had never seen. It was so gorgeous to look at, its green scales shining lightly in the sun.

“Cover me,” Mando mutters, leaping over the mound and sliding down to the lizard. Elwyn whips out their blaster along with Toro and they both watch over Mando as he investigates. Mando notices a body tied dragging along behind the lizard. He turns it over to reveal a masked man.

“Is it dead?” Toro asks.

“It’s a bounty hunter,”

He examined the body more, searching through the body’s pockets before he was met with the familiar red blinking of a tracking fob. Elwyn watched as his body went ridged as he searched the body. He found something bad. Elwyn looked around, feeling the hairs on their neck stand up. Suddenly, the loud pang of a gun shot could be heard echoing in the distance. The sparks of Beskar glinted in the corner of your eye. Mando had been hit. He sprinted towards the mound again, rifle shots sounding through the air. Elwyn tried aiming towards where the shots were coming from, and they fired. The blaster shot didn’t reach far enough though, causing Elwyn to pound at the ground in anger. Mando ducked behind the mound quickly, shouting at the other two to lower their weapons. 

“that’s an MK sniper rifle. It’s got to be her,”

“who?” Elwyn asked, looking over to Mando.

“The bounty we’re hear for. Fennec Shand,” Toro replied.

Mando looked at Toro, “Did you see where that shot came from?”

“Yeah, over on that ridge,” he replied, pointing to where he was talking about. Elwyn shuffled where they crouched, sand sticking to their skin. Mando sighs, looking towards the setting suns.

“It’s best to wait till dark,”

“What if she gets away?”

“She has the high ground, she’ll wait for us to make the first move,”

Elwyn watched as Mando shuffled over to his bike, leaning against it, “You take first watch,”

Both Elwyn and Toro looked at each other, not sure who he was talking to. They both decided to stay up whilst he rested.

~~~

The suns were now gone, the moon high in the sky. Toro looked over to Elwyn who was sitting cross-legged as they drew lines in the sand, looking out towards the distance. He smiled, looking from Mando back to them.

“How did you end up around him?”

Elwyn smirked, “stowaway. I was hiding from a battle that was going on outside the ship.”

He nodded, eyeing them still. They didn’t look at him, only sometimes glancing at him, but never looking at his eyes.

“Should travel with someone like me. Someone with more pizazz,”

Elwyn snorted, “not a chance. Mando has been good to me… if you forget the few moments he’s snapped.”

Toro tilted his head, “Snapped?”

“Got angry at me. It’s fine. I deserved it anyway,”

Toro shifted closer to them, smiling warmly as he shifted his hand to their knee. Elwyn felt their heart jump into their throat at the contact. The unwanted contact. They stared at him with wide eyes, shock filling their chest. Mando was most obviously sleeping, so he wasn’t there to help pry him off the now frozen Elwyn.

“When we’re done, come with me,”

Elwyn finally found the courage to move and shot up, making their way over to Mando, “Mando, it’s dark now, we should get going.”

Toro watched with sad eyes as they moved away. He was just trying to be kind. After all, they were obviously hurting from the Mandalorian’s random bursts of anger towards them. 

Mando didn’t stir as Toro made his way beside Elwyn, “Look at him. Old man is sleeping on the job!”

He goes to turn before whipping out his blaster and pointing at Mando. Elwyn flinched, reaching out to stop him, “Relax snowflake, I’m just joking!”

“You done?” his modulated voice sounded from beside the two.

He got up, staring holes into Toro as he put his blaster away awkwardly. They begun getting set up to make a move, Mando handing the two a flash charger each. Before Elwyn approached their bike, Mando’s gloved hand fell to their shoulder. They turned to look at him, this time… they’d made direct eye contact, looking deep into what they thought were his eyes. And they were. His heart clenched in his chest as he examined their orange eyes, glowing in the moonlight. He squeezed lightly, nodding to them. Something about the way he looked at them made Elwyn feel safer, and the supporting squeeze made their heart clench tightly in their chest. They all made their way to their own speeder bikes and they all begun the mission.

Shooting forward on the bikes, they rushed down the hills, flash chargers at the ready. Mando fires the first one, the bright light blinding Fennec’s censors. Despite the blinding light out of the corner of their eye, they kept their eyes forward, locked on tightly to the assassin. Toro fired the next shot, blinding Fennec again. Despite the flash charger being fired, Fennec managed to shoot down Mando’s bike, stranding him in the sand. Elwyn resisted the urge to stop and help him, continuing forward. They readied their charger before another shot was heard. This time, it was heading to them. The adrenaline was running high as turned their bike to the side and tilting it to the side, weaving around the bullet easily. Toro could only watch as they tilted their bike so close to the ground that their hand drifted through the sand. They pushed, turning back upright, and shooting the flash charger. Their eyes soon widened at the oncoming cliff face. They moved their footing, getting ready to jump for the rocks above.

They leapt up, letting the bike crash into the rock face and explode. There would have been no time to stop. They would have exploded along with the bike. Toro soon came to a stop too, climbing up the ridge to where the bounty was. Elwyn swallowed hard, hoping to calm their nerves before climbing up as well, one bit a time. They soon reached the top, sweat beading across their bow and they came face to face with both Toro and Fennec fist fighting. Elwyn manoeuvred their way behind Fennec, springing onto her back and trying to get her to stop hitting Toro. She clutched at them, trying to swat them off her back. It wasn’t before long that Fennec managed to grab hold of Elwyn’s arms and flip them over her head, causing them to land on the rocky surface of the ridge. The let out a loud grunt before standing quickly, adrenaline running too high for Elwyn to care. They both soon engaged in a fist fight as well, yet more aggressive and blood thirsty. Elwyn hissed and scratched at Fennec whilst she dodged most hit with ease. 

Fennec soon had enough of the reckless fighting before striking at Elwyn, their glove cutting deeply against their lip. Elwyn hissed with pain, stumbling back at the force. Toro soon grasps a hold on Elwyn, forcing them back as the Mandalorian finally appeared, cuffing the assassin. Elwyn soon stopped their squirming as Mando turned to both of them. He nudged his head towards the edge of the cliff face, guiding Fennec down it. They both followed behind him. 

“Well! Looks like there is only one bike! Shame. Someone has to walk!” Fennec teased.

“Shut it,” Elwyn hissed, wiping at the long gash on their lip, the taste of blood lining their mouth.

“She’s so feisty!” Fennec grinned. Mando’s head snapped around to look at her, standing in front of Elwyn protectively.

“ _They_ have every right to be mad at you,” he snapped, his voice low and guttural. 

Fennec moved back slightly at his sudden anger. Yet her shocked face was soon replaced with a smirk, “For what, cutting their pretty little face?”

Toro moved to stand in front of Mando, trying to calm the two down, “what’s the plan?”

Mando’s hands curl into fists, the leather of his gloves creaking as he continued to stare Fennec down. His chest bubbled with anger just looking at her. Something in him snapped. He knew why, yet he wouldn’t admit it to himself. He was growing too attached to Elwyn, but he couldn’t care less about that nagging thought at the back of his mind. He didn’t even notice Toro trying to speak to him.

“Mando,” he heard Elwyn speak. It was a calm tone, relaxing enough to cause Mando to loosen his hands at his sides. He soon felt a small tug on his cape. Elwyn had grasped onto it, tugging him out of his anger induced state.

“Sorry, he mumbled, head turned slightly towards them, “Toro, you go find the Dewback.”

“Oh no! You are not staying here with my bounty and ride!”

“Then we’ll both take the bike, and I can ride it on the way back while Mando takes the Dewback,” Elwyn suggested, "If I'm light enough to tilt a whole bike without falling off then I'm light enough to ride with another person."

“No, it’s fine. I’ll walk,” Mando replied, beginning his trek towards the Dewback. Elwyn could only sigh as he walked away, moonlight glinting off of his Beskar. They soon turned towards the rockface, sitting down against it and sighing, rubbing their hands together.

“What are you doing?”

“Sleeping. I really need it,” they mumbled, shutting their eyes. Sleep soon had a hold of them, drifting away into a much-needed rest.

~~~ 

_“Calm down, it’s ok!” the child muttered to themselves, shivering in the closet._

_The pounding of footsteps drew closer, each pound against the ground making the child whimper quietly. The door to the room slammed open, a woman’s voice crying for the man to stop._

_The loud clutter of things being thrown around the room cause the child to cover their mouth, stifling their breathing and cries. It will all be over soon. Soon._

~~~ 

The sound of a gun shot echoed through the valley, startling Elwyn awake. It was sunrise and Mando was nowhere to be seen. They looked to where the gunshot was heard and noticed Fennec doubled over and Toro standing over her.

“What did you do?” Elwyn gasped, getting up from where they sat.

“Getting a better bounty,” he smirked. Elwyn looked out towards the distance before locking eyes with Toro, fear rising in their chest, their heartbeat growing faster each second.  
“Don’t you dare hurt him!” Elwyn hissed, moving forward slowly to Toro.

“I’ll do what I want. That kid of his is apparently even more valuable. I’ll be in the guild in no time!”

Elwyn lunged forward, trying to stop Toro from getting onto the bike. They gripped onto his shoulders, holding him back from getting on the bike. That was when they realised, he was up to something as he smirked at her.

And the pain soon kicked in. a burning, searing pain shot through the area under their left breast, a long slice through their shirt causing blood to seep through their white shirt. Elwyn took deep and ragged breaths before trying to spring forward again, yet he stabbed again. This time, he thrusted into the right side of their waist, causing them to fall back, their arms wrapping around their wounds.

They huffed, looking at Toro as they broke out in a cold sweat, “Don’t you dare touch him!”

“Sorry, snowflake. This is just business!”

Toro then climbed onto the bike and rode away. Elwyn’s breathing grew more ragged, gasping for air as their vision started growing black. Their head felt light, before crashing towards the ground.

~~~ 

Mando had finally reached the Dewback and begun to make his way back to the ridge. Taking that walk did help clear his head. Think about future missions, what to do with Fennec. Things like that. He had never thought of Elwyn on the way there and not even on the way back. The sun had started rising, his Beskar glinting in the sunlight. It was a slow and steady ride, but finally, he could see the ridge. Yet no speeder bike. Only two bodies laying on the sand. Fear rises in his chest and his stomach drops as he gets the Dewback to move as fast as it could. Once he was close enough, he leapt from the lizard and sprinted towards the motionless bodies.

“Elwyn!!” he cried, noticing the sand stained red around them. He fell to their side and rolled them over. They were still breathing, but not very well. He then noticed the two wounds that had been the cause of their collapse. Mando swallowed hard before taking the bottom of his coat and ripping two long pieces off. He tied them around the wounds, hoping to steady the bleeding despite how they’d already lost a lot. He looked to Fennec before scooping up Elwyn carefully in his arms and fixing them to the Dewback carefully, making sure to not disrupt their wounds more. 

“Hang in there Elwyn. I’ll get you help,” he muttered as he climbed up to sit atop the lizard before moving back towards the town. 

~~~ 

It was nightfall once they’d both made it back to the bay. And Toro’s bike was parked outside. Mando took Elwyn from the Dewback and cradled them in his arms before making his way inside. The bay was quiet. Eerily quiet. He noticed Peli’s droids cowering in her office.

“Took you long enough!” he shouted, appearing from the Crest with Peli and the child hostage.

“Let go of her and the kid!” Mando growled.

“I’m calling the shots now, old man! Now drop Elwyn and raise your hands,” Toro roared, motioning towards the motionless person in his Mando's with a nod.

Mando looked down at them, their breaths growing more ragged by the second. He took in a deep breath before putting them on the ground gently, raising his hands. Toro pushed Peli in front of him, telling her to cuff him. She follows his orders, moving around behind him to notice that he had a flash charger in his hands.

“You’re smarter than you look,” she whispered to him.

Toro kept talking, not knowing what was about to happen to him. Before Toro could shoot him, Mando pulls the flash charger out, blinding him before he shot him, killing the wannabe bounty hunter. Peli soon started moving to find the kid as Mando dropped to his knees to check on Elwyn. Their eyes had fluttered open slightly, tears brimming in their eyes. Their face contorted in pain as their consciousness came back to them.

“Calm down, ok. I’ll get you some help,” he shushed them calmly, placing his hand on their cheek soothingly. Elwyn’s voice was stuck in their throat, dry and scratchy. The pain in their chest and stomach forced tears forward as they continued to bleed lightly. Peli soon came over with the child, dropping down on the other side of Elwyn.

“I have some e-bacta spray somewhere,” Peli spoke, putting the child down. He begun to reach out towards them, yet Mando stopped him, telling him to leave them alone. Peli took his silence as a yes and she moved to her office to find some of the e-bacta spray. She returned quickly after with some in hand, crouching down beside Elwyn and working it on their wounds. Elwyn winced, gripping onto Mando’s hand. He squeezed back, hoping the gesture would calm them down a bit. The wounds started to slowly stop bleeding, the pain going away, but not fast enough. 

Soon, the bacta spray was finished being applied and Mando wrapped up the wounds again with the scraps from his cape. Elwyn’s grip loosened on his hand and they slowly got up, Mando supporting them as they did. They looked to him, locking eyes with him before smiling weakly. Mando’s stomach clenched and his heartbeat quickened. He nodded to them.

“You ok?”

“Y-yeah. I feel better now,” they replied, gulping, “I’m sorry I let him get away.”

“Don’t be. Please,”

Elwyn felt their cheeks heat up at him using the word, please. Something that Elwyn would have never thought they’d heard leave the lips of the Mandalorian. The child soon crawled up on Elwyn’s lap, letting out concerned coo up at them. Elwyn laughs slightly before a twinge of pain hits them. Bad idea. Mando watches as the kid tries cheering them up, Peli going over to check on the dead body. 

He knew, deep in his heart, that something was blossoming. 

~~~ 

Mando had paid for the repairs with Toro’s money and was packing up to leave. Elwyn near the opening of the ramp, gripping the Child in their arms. Mando finished hauling some new weapons into the ship before closing up the ramp. Elwyn waved to Peli, calling out a goodbye to her before the ramp shut fully. They let the child go before getting up and following Mando into the cockpit. They both sat down, and the ship took off, finally leaving the sandy planet of Tatooine. Elwyn let out a huge sigh as they snuggled into the cushiony leather seat. Hopefully, the next mission will be more kind to them. All three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Elwyn, it won't be so nice either. We're nearing the end of season 1 now! Yes I will be writing for season 2, don't worry! As always, if there were any errors or things I could improve on, please tell me as I'm always looking to improve my writing!


	5. Epitaph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elwyn finally comes to their boiling point after Mando's most recent mission...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by the song Epitaph by King Crimson.
> 
> Today's chapter will be discussing a few things that may trigger people such as abuse and harassment. So if these things might be triggering, please read with caution. Aside from that, hope you enjoy!

The water had run pink when they showered. Although they were already healing thanks to the e-bacta spray from Peli, every inch of their body screamed for rest. They towelled themselves off inside the ‘fresher before putting on their clothes again, their white top and chest compressor stained in blood. They sighed heavily, even noticing the rips from the knife in both articles of clothing. They walked out of the ‘fresher to find Mando feeding the kid.

“My clothes are ruined,” they muttered, sitting beside the kid.

Mando handed them some food too once they sat, “I could get you some new ones.”

Elwyn shook their head vigorously, “No! I like this shirt way too much.”

Mando chuckled slightly, picking up his own food to eat. He’d never eat with us. It was because of his Creed. He could never show his face around any living creature or he could never put it back on. As much as it annoyed Elwyn that he couldn’t join them both for a meal, they could understand and respect his beliefs. And they’d respect them until the day they died. 

“How are your injuries?” Mando asked, having stopped at the bottom of the ladder.

“They’re fine. Can barely feel the pain,” that was a lie. Mando knew it. Just sitting down made them wince. But Mando wasn’t going to tell them off for it. 

“Well, please be careful,” He spoke, finally climbing up the ladder with his food. 

~~~ 

Elwyn was sitting on the end of Mando’s cot with one of his capes wrapped around their body. Mando was currently washing their blood-stained clothes, which had Elwyn’s face burning red. It wasn’t that he was cleaning their things, it was more that they were currently sitting on _his_ bed wrapped in _his_ cape _without_ a shirt on. These thoughts had gotten worse ever since Tatooine. These burning feelings inside their chest whenever he just as so grazed passed Elwyn’s shoulder. Their tiny habit of rubbing and hitting at the sides of their head had grown larger as they tried clearing these thoughts. 

“I’ve finished washing them. Tried patching them up too,” he spoke, returning with their shirt. All they could do was smile and nod, scared to speak as though their voice would give out on them if they uttered a singular word as they took their shirt and chest compressor in hand.

Mando took their silence as a normal and made his way back towards the cockpit, “We’re almost to our next location.”

Elwyn got up, stumbling a bit as they stepped on the cape, gripping it tightly as it almost fell from their shoulders. Mando reached out slightly as they steadied themselves quickly. 

“Well, what are we in for?”

“I think you should stay here this time. You’re injured,”

Elwyn let out a sigh, feeling a slight pain in their chest as they exhaled. They understood this time. They would have fought for their position in the mission, maybe even result to physical fighting, yet the pain of their injuries drained them, and they understood where the masked man was coming from.

“I-I understand,” They spoke, looking down at the floor. Mando did a double take. Did they seriously just agree with him? He sighed before turning towards the ladder to the cockpit.

“Hurry up and get dressed. We’re almost there,”

And with that, Elwyn quickly scurried into the ‘fresher. Shutting the door behind them, they quickly looked over their clothes. The cuts in the white shirt had been stitched carefully back together. Elwyn couldn’t help but grin widely at the thought of the ruthless killer sitting down and sewing a shirt back together. They then looked over to their chest compressor. They’d need a new one after, but the job Mando did on it would have to do. Pulling both items over their head, they took in the new smell of the fabric. Something about it just… smelled like him. A musk scent that just made Elwyn’s heart flutter. I wonder if he smells like this.

“shut up!” they hissed quietly to themselves, hitting at the sides of their head. Just as they finished adjusting their outfit, the ship rocked slightly, signalling that the ship had landed. 

As they returned out of the ‘fresher, they were met with the ramp lowered and a sound coming from the cockpit. Curiosity peeking in their mind, they made their way up into the space. They rose out from the ladder and into the cockpit and saw a droid fiddling around with the control panel. They let out a loud gasp as it turned around to face Elwyn. 

“Who are you?” the droid spoke.

“I’d ask you the same thing!” They shouted, “Get out of our ship!” 

_Our ship…_

“I’m here to help the Mandalorian on a mission,”

“Get out!”

They soon felt a grip on their shoulders, warm leather tickling their skin. They turned to see Mando looking down at them. Their chest swelled with joy upon seeing his silver helmet.

“This robot-”

“Is telling the truth, Elwyn. We will be having a few more guests too,”

They tilted their head at him as he nodded before making his way down the ladder again. Elwyn slowly followed, looking back at the droid hesitantly. Something about it made their gut clench tightly with fear. Maybe it was just how it looked, the lights from the base glinting off of its black metal parts.

They soon felt their shoes hit the floor and was immediately met with three other people staring back at Elwyn. All of them were bounty hunters. Obviously. Just looking at them you would know. A man, Twi’lek and a Devaronian. Yet despite knowing their occupation just by one glance, their aura leaked of evil, jealousy and hate. Just how they looked at Mando, walked around Mando, Maker, even stood near him, they looked at him with an intent to kill. And just due to being his crewmate, Elwyn had the same looks inflicted onto them. 

“Hi,” they weakly spoke, waving slightly, just to be polite. Just to hopefully get them on all three of their good sides. 

The man grinned, waving back with an awful smirk on his face, “the name’s Migs Mayfield. That over there, the Twi, is Xi’ian and the red guy is Burg.” 

Elwyn could only nod, not even thinking to introduce themselves to them.

The Devaronian, Burg, walked up to them, eyeing them carefully, his face getting closer to theirs. Elwyn could feel his breath on their face, their skin crawling with each second passing of his face staring at them in the corner of their vision. 

“And I thought the tin man was tiny,” he muttered, sharp yellow teeth flashing from his smile. It took all their strength to not push the large red man away from them. Elwyn thought that if they did, he’d break them like a toothpick. Stab them with his horns. 

“Pretty little thing,” Xi’ian snarls, eyeing Mando.

“Leave them alone,” Mando speaks, standing between Elwyn and the Devaronian. He growled, moving to sit down again. Mando turns to face Elwyn and squeezes their shoulder for comfort, nodding at them. This was his way of saying, _calm down, it’s ok_. And Elwyn knew what it meant too. Yet it wasn’t very helpful with everyone’s eyes boring holes into both Mando and Elwyn’s head.

Mando then moved to go into the cockpit, leaving Elwyn alone with the three bounty hunters. They sat down against a wall, reaching for the spare cape that Mando had hanging up from before. They quickly wrapped it around themselves for comfort as they felt eyes on them, judging Elwyn. Hating on Elwyn. 

The ship soon shook alive, leaving the hanger of the base and leaving for the mission. Burg had soon got up, looking around before finding Mando’s weapon stash, opening it up and revelling in all the weapons to use. 

“Don’t touch those,” Mando’s voice filtered through the silence. Elwyn’s heart swelled upon seeing that silver armour again. He closed the stash, staring down the red alien. 

“I do what I want,”

“Not on my ship,”

The tension started getting high, setting Elwyn’s nerves alight and causing their stomach to churn. The alien growled before Mayfield approached them, breaking them up before anything else could happen. 

“Guys! Stop! Calm down. Once this is over, you’ll never have to see each other again,”

Burg grumbled, “Why do we even need a Mandalorian anyway?”

Elwyn shifted to their knees, gripping onto their handgun from underneath the cape. Elwyn didn’t care if they were clients, partners, whatever, they were bad. And they hated Mando. And Elwyn hated them for that.

Mayfield sighed heavily, “They’re the strongest warriors in the whole galaxy,”

“Oh yeah! Then why are they all dead,” Burg laughed, deep and guttural, venom dripping from his gravelly voice. Elwyn shot up from where they stood, their eye twitching with anger as the cape dropped from their shoulders. One more move and one of them will be dead. Laughter filled the room, obviously due to what the red alien had said. It made Elwyn’s chest bubble with anger. 

“So, what do you look like under that thing?” Mayfield teased, pointing towards Mando’s helmet, “Is yousa a Gungan?”

Everyone erupted into laughter again at Mayfield’s teasing. Mando shifted on his feet, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. Mayfield smirks and he looks towards Elwyn.

“Bet they know,” Mayfield grinned, approaching them. Elwyn clenched their fists together, as they felt his hands grip onto their shoulders. He looked towards Mando as Mayfield’s face got closer to Elwyn’s.

“Understand why you kept this one around, they’re super cute,” 

Elwyn clenched their eyes shut, moving their head away from the man. He rubbed his arms up and down their shoulders, all the while eyeing Mando. Seeing the man’s fists clench tightly together was enough to keep poking at the tin man. He was soft for Elwyn, Mayfield had noticed. And seeing his small reactions was all the more to try and get more of a rise out of the bounty hunter.

“You’re so soft,” he whispered. “So pliant. Where have you been all my life, sweetheart.”

The reaction was violent and instantaneous. Elwyn’s eyes snapped open, rage surging through them. They whipped their head, snatching at his wrists and glaring at him, their gaze hot enough to liquify Beskar. 

“Don’t call me that!”

He yanked his hands free from their hold and griped at their jaw, forcing a pained whine from their throat. Seeing this, Mando jerked forward, his already fragile restraint shattered to pieces. 

Burg snatched him by the arms, holding the armour covered man away from Elwyn and Mayfield. He soon broke free from the the alien’s hold and managed to grab a hold of Mayfield’s collar.

“Don’t you kriffing touch them,” he growled, low and gravelly.

“Stop it! I’m fine!” They shrieked, prying Mayfield out of Mando’s grasp. Their skin still burned where they touched him. Like a poison.

“Have you gone soft, Mandalorian?!” he declared gleefully. He then sank his fist into Mando’s abdomen, causing Mando to strike back, trying to restrain the man. They both collided with a compartment, opening it up to reveal the Child inside.

“What the hell is that?” Mayfield gasped, standing back slightly upon seeing it, “Is this thing the offspring between you and Xi’ian?”

The Twi hissed at him as she approached. Elwyn could only stare at her as they eyed the Child, licking her lips at it.

“It’s a pet,” Mando says simply.

“Wow, you’ve gone really soft!” Mayfield grins, picking the kid up, “Maybe I’ll make it my pet.”

He looks to Mando again before pretending to almost drop the kid, watching for Mando’s reaction.

Elwyn bit down on their lip hard, their heart seizing. Never in their life would they have seen this ruthless killer like this: being teased, made fun of. Hurt and self-esteem being bashed into the ground. He always seemed above that, bigger than anyone he came across. 

they suddenly hated Mayfield so intensely it ached. Their fingers twitched with the urge to force him down, to hurt him. Slam his head into the side of the ship. To make him kiss Mando’s damn boots if that’s what it took.

“The ship is now exiting Hyperspace,” The droid, Zero, sounded over the speaker of the ship. Everyone soon had calmed down, sitting down again. Elwyn snatched the Child from Mayfield’s arms and placed him into his little hammock above Mando’s cot, shutting the hatch.

~~~ 

The ship had soon attached itself to the prison ship. It was a shaky landing, but the mission was about to begin soon. They were breaking Xi'ian's brother out of here. That's all Elwyn really knew. 

Mando soon scrambles the opening of the hatch into the ship, everyone eying him intently. Elwyn simply sat in the corner of the ship, eying the three bounty hunters angrily. The Twi, Xi’ian, had kept glancing over at them, snarling and licking at her fangs. It made Elwyn’s skin crawl. 

Mando finally opens the hatch and Mayfield is the first to go in, followed by Xi’ian and Burg. Before Mando can drop in after them, Elwyn rushes forward, grasping at Mando’s arm.

“Can we talk quickly?” They whispered. Mando signals the group to wait as he steps away from the hatch with Elwyn.

“I don’t trust them,”

“You don’t think I don't trust them either?”

“no, you have to understand me! The way they look at you. They look at you with the intent to kill. Don’t you think I should come and help you just in case they spring something on you?”

“No. I’ll be ok. You should stay here and take care of the Child. And keep an eye on that droid. If he’s working with them, then he’s equally untrustworthy,” Mando whispered, trying to not let the group hear.

Elwyn felt their throat go dry, trying to stifle tears that were forming in their eyes. Mando grabbed onto their hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze before exiting down the hatch. All Elwyn could do was watch with shaking hands. The mission had begun and Elwyn fell to their knees, tears finally falling from their face. 

~~~ 

Elwyn had crawled into their cot, trembling under the blankets as they recalled their trip to the prison ship. The feeling of Burg and Mayfield’s breath on their face, his touch to their shoulders. The unwanted touching all in an attempt to get a rise out of the Beskar clad bounty hunter. Making someone hate their existence all to have some kriffing “fun”. His touch was poison, and their tears were the side effects. His breath was acid, and their want and need to kill him were the side effects. Everything about that man was toxic. Everything. And Elwyn hated it. Hated him. 

A familiar coo sounded outside their cot. Elwyn shifted up slowly to find the Child running for cover, fear painted across his face. Elwyn got up and heard the clanging footsteps of the droid growing closer to the ladder. Elwyn’s heartbeat grew faster and they raced to the Child, scooping him up and diving for Mando’s cot, closing it behind them. They moved all the way to the back of it, distancing themselves from the opening as much as possible. The kid cooed in their arms, cuddling closer to their chest in fear.

“Shh,”

The kid gripped onto the fabric of Elwyn’s shirt for comfort, nuzzling his little face against it. Elwyn ran their hand over his back in a circle, hoping to calm him down enough so he didn’t make a noise. The droid’s footsteps grew closer and Elwyn felt their throat tighten, their gut churning in fear. The sounds of footsteps soon stopped. They covered their mouth, silencing their heavy breathing.

_The closet._

Tears pricked at the corners of their eyes.

_The growing footsteps._

Elwyn stifled a sob by biting down on their lip hard, drawing blood.

_The scared child._

The opening of the door made Elwyn jump, a small squeak escaping their lips. The droid peered in, holding a gun in hand, and aiming it at Elwyn.

“Hand over the child,” his robotic voice spoke, sending chills over their body.

“I’ll kill you before you touch him,” Elwyn hissed, tears threatening to fall as they reached for their blaster. 

“Just try it,” it spoke. The Child reached out his hand, feeling a power flow through his body as he a aimed his tiny green hand towards the droid. The sound of a blaster shot rang out through the hull of the ship, making Elwyn squeal in fear and clench their eyes shut as the droid sparked brightly and crashed towards the ground. Elwyn clutched the Child tightly against their chest as the silence of the room settled.

“Elwyn,” Mando breathed. Their eyes snapped open as they saw the metal clad man before them.

“Mando,” Elwyn sobbed, placing the kid down before rushing towards Mando. They had never been so happy to see someone in their entire life. They shot forward and embraced him tightly, wrapping their arms around his neck and nuzzling their face into the crook of his neck as best they could, being cautious of the hard metal helmet and his shoulder plates. It was warm, welcoming. Elwyn felt their throat tighten and they stifled a sob, biting down hard on their lip. They had spent so long being cautious, being so tensely guarded that it made them paranoid. they just wanted to be vulnerable, just this once. They just wanted to be safe, in the comfort of someone else who probably didn’t understand what they were feeling but was possibly willing to. 

The best thing was, Mando hugged back. They stiffened slightly when he grabbed them. Perhaps it was because Elwyn’s mind was already running with fear, but for a moment, they thought that when he brought his arms around them, it was to smother them until their ribs snapped. But then his hand rubbed up their spine, a slow, comforting motion, and they melted against him. He felt their stifled sobs against his chest, their trembling form, and their tear-stained face. Everything used to be so normal for them and now they live a life of fear, running, danger. Something that people like Elwyn shouldn't be a part of. And this was their breaking point. After staying brave and collected for so long, they had finally snapped, breaking down against him.

“You can cry,” He muttered, trying not to frighten them with his voice.

“But I have to stay strong,” they whimpered, not looking up from where their head rested, “I’m weak if I do.”

“No, you are not weak. Crying doesn’t make you weaker. It makes you stronger. More human,”

His words drifted into their ear, unlocking something frail, and when they cried, it came from the very depth of their soul. Something small and scared, wailing like a newborn baby. And despite their tears staining his clothing that sat underneath his armour, he held them tightly, not planning to let go until they were ready.

~~~ 

Elwyn had drifted off into a deep sleep by the time Mando had delivered the prisoner back to the base. He'd dealt with the group, locking them in one of the prison cells due to them trying to hurt him. I guess he could say it was payback for locking him in one of the cells. 

Elwyn had ended up falling asleep in his arms, making him have to place them back in their cot. Yet something made him move forward towards his own, covering them in his blankets and shutting the door. He’d come to accept these feelings in his chest and stomach. He knew that they were there. He knew he loved Elwyn. He knew it. He’s succumbed to the truth his aching heart tells him. Yet he doesn’t dare act on them, too afraid after today to even try to make a move on Elwyn. 

The familiar sounds of x-wings zoom past the ship, a loud explosion and baster fire filling the empty void of space. He looked behind to see the base explode, smiling slightly. _That’s for Elwyn_. He thought. He shook his head. He did not just think that.

The familiar hiss of the cockpit doors cause him to turn in his seat, noticing Elwyn standing in the doorway.

“Hi,” they whispered, closing the door behind them. He immediately sat up more in his chair. 

“Hey.” he gestured for them to sit down, and they did, his eyes following Elwyn as they sat in the co-pilot chair.

His expression was vaguely curious. “What’s wrong?”

They fiddled with their hands, picking at their fingernails, and rubbing their hands together, not looking at Mando.

After a moment, he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Who says I’m thinking of anything.”

“When are you not?”

“You did that to me.”

He did a lot of things to them, actually. Made their heart beat out of their chest, longing for the sense of him holding them in his arms. They craved him. Every second. And… they’ve finally come to accept their love for him. Yet was it too soon? They swallowed, thinking back to everything they’ve been through. Sorgan. Tatooine. Right now. Everything made up what they were feeling right now in this moment. Love. The thought of being with him made their heart sore, yet something in them told them they were moving too fast. They were too damn needy for the love they’ve been craving all these years. And that’s why they turned to dancing. To ignore their life around them. To forget about all the things that had been hurting them at home. Dancing made them feel calmer. safer. It suppressed their feelings. Their feelings for love. For being wanted. For having a real family. 

And when he came into their life, it seemed like it was the end of the world. Taking them away from Nevarro, their home planet. It felt awful being so far away from the only place they knew. Yet, he tried making them feel better every second of the day. Tried calming them, yet they brushed it off as him just being him. Not used to people. Not used to being around others for so long. Yet what Elwyn hadn’t realised was that being away from home was probably the best thing for them. Finding someone who was willing to protect them. Willing to keep them safe. It made Elwyn realise that Nevarro was just another hurtle they had to get over in life. And this Beskar covered killer was the one that helped them jump it.

But he was so much more than just a kind soul that helped others who would be deemed weaker than him. And because of this, Elwyn had put him up on a pedestal so high that if he made the slightest misstep, he could’ve only gone crashing down. At some point, they started viewing him as someone different, someone better. Someone who was nearly divine because he seemed so far above what made everyone else human.

their fingers tightened around the fabric of their pants. they blinked back tears. 

But. But-

But they liked him. they liked him so _kriffing_ much. And more than just as someone who could make their heart flutter, who could enchant them with nearly everything he did. It was more than that.

They cared about him. They found him funny, even if he didn’t mean to be funny. They liked his analytical mind and how quick he was. They liked that he was protective, that he got angry whenever someone hurt them, even himself. They liked him: in his entirety, as a person, what he could be for them. 

So then why? Why? Why did everything have to be so _kriffing_ complicated? Why did trying to figure out their feelings for him so difficult. Trying to figure out if their feelings were moving too quickly was too hard. Annoying. They just wanted to want him.

“Elwyn?” His voice brought them back to earth.

“I’m sorry,” they said, trying not to cry. Again, dank farrik. 

“For what?”

“For… everything. For how I’ve treated you,”

“Elwyn-”

“No. Now you listen to me,” they spoke. They took a deep breath, “I’ve treated you like shit in the beginning. I wasn’t thinking and I was scared. Annoyed that I couldn’t return home. But… I now realised that being away from Nevarro was the best thing that could ever happen to me. To ever happen in my entire life.”

Mando sat there, listening intently. They looked at him for a second before taking in a deep, shaky breath before continuing.

“My parents weren’t that good. My dad especially. He was always drunk and away from home. My mother never stopped him. One night… he found out that I quit dance school and…”

Their voice cracked and their lip quivered. Mando put his hand on theirs, rubbing his thumb over the back of their hand, “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”

“No. I need to. It’s just that… I’ve never told anyone before,”

They grabbed onto his hand, squeezing it before exhaling.

“He hit me. He was beyond drunk when mother told him. I could hear him shouting in the kitchen and I hid in my closet when I heard him walking to my room. He found me and slapped me. After that he was rarely at home. It was as though he regretted what he did.”

Mando squeezed their hand tightly as tears formed in their eyes. It felt nice to tell someone. To break down walls they never knew they had. A weight finally lifting off their shoulders. And Mando listened. Didn’t stop them. Only supported them. Trying to make them feel comfortable. And Maker did it make Elwyn’s heart hurt.

“I danced to forget things. Forget everything. I'm like my dad. He drunk to forget. I dance to forget. I didn’t talk to anyone. Didn’t get close to anyone. I was too afraid to get hurt again. Physical or emotional.”

They then met their eyes with his, a glistening honey orange. Everything about their eyes made Mando melt in his seat. To see them look into his own eyes felt amazing.

“And then… And then when I met you, it was just… different, somehow. You were so infuriating, but I trusted you, and that unsettled me. And then slowly, it just became something else. Something more.”

Their other hand found his other hand and squeezed, and they stared at him as though he were still exceptional. Because, maybe, he just was. 

“You made me feel normal again,” they whispered, “I love you.”

Those words sparked something inside of him at hearing those three words. He looked up at her, noticing the red spreading across their cheeks. He balled his hands into a fist before getting up and slowly reaching for Elwyn, pulling them up and close to him with a gentle touch. 

“What are you doing?” They asked, their heart racing in their chest.

He couldn’t speak, to afraid of his voice cracking or straining if he spoke a word. He placed his hands on their face, cupping her cheeks in his hands before placing his helmet against their forehead. The cold metal seeped through their head, clashing with the heat they felt in their cheeks. Elwyn may not have known the gesture. It was a Mandalorian gesture anyway. But everything about it was special to him. Feeling the heat of their skin on his helmet and gloves. Elwyn soon relaxed, sighing against his helmet.

“A keldabe kiss,” he muttered, his voice barely filtering through his helmet.

“A what?” Elwyn spoke, looking up and into the visor of his helmet.

“A keldabe kiss. Mandalorians in full armour do this in place of a kiss,”

Elwyn’s heartbeat grew faster at the word. Kiss. They were kissing.

“What do we do now?” they asked.

“What do you mean?” he pulled away from their face, looking at them properly, yet his hands still stayed on their face.

“Like right now. What are… what are we to each other?”

He opened his mouth, then hesitated, his thumbs shifting over their cheeks. 

“What do you want?”

They took a moment to think about it, to consider the implications. What would it be like to have a partner? Their first one. They thought it would be amazing. Yet the same thought came up again. Was this going too fast? They’ve been around each other for almost half a month now. It felt like long enough, but they still weren’t sure. And that is what set them off. Elwyn loved Mando. They really did, but the hesitation made them scared to go further. 

He tapped their cheek, calling for their attention. They lifted their eyes to meet his.

Their lips thinned; guilt curdled in their stomach like sour milk. They shook their head softly.

No, they weren’t ready yet. 

He nodded, and they felt the large expanse of his hand covering the nape of their neck. “Okay,” he said. 

“What are you going to do about that?” they whispered. He brushed away a tear that had fallen. Elwyn didn’t notice. They honestly didn’t care. 

“Wait,” he rasped, his voice settling into their chest, their stomach, their blood. “I’ll wait until you are ready.”

“I can’t… I can’t expect you to do that. What if you find someone else and-”

“You seriously think I will find someone else?” he chuckled. Yet Elwyn didn’t take it lightly.

“That widow on Sorgan,”

His heart stopped. His gut clenched. Yes, she was beautiful. Kind. But it didn’t match the feelings that he felt for Elwyn. He shook his head, “I won’t find someone else,” he said. 

“You don't-” 

“Elwyn, I won’t find someone else.”

They nodded, feeling a small smile pull at their lips. They wrapped their arms around him, hugging him closely. And he slid his arms around them. The feeling of his embrace made their heart warm. Butterflies filling their stomach. There was a word on their tongue that would describe the feeling. A word they knew but didn’t know the true meaning.  
Maybe one day… one day they will know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed today's chapter! This was probably my favourite chapter I've written so far. Elwyn needs a hug. And Mando needs one too. Both of them need a hug. As always, if there was any errors or things I could improve on etc, please let me know because I'm always looking for ways to improve as a writer.


	6. The Grateful Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of the fight on Nevarro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by the band The Grateful Dead
> 
> hey guys! Sorry this took a while for me to post! This chapter proved to be a bit difficult to write at first, but I managed it in the end! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

Elwyn paced around the hanger of the ship, feeling their hands tingle slightly with the urge to move. They hadn’t danced in a while. And that’s perfectly reasonable as both them and Mando have been on the run. Plus, the thought of dancing around him was… embarrassing. The Child coos, waddling over to where Elwyn kept glancing. Their boombox. He looks at them before looking back at the device before reaching out to touch it.

“Hey! Don’t touch!” Elwyn hisses, crouching down to him and pulling him away. He looks at her, black eyes wide as he points to it again. Elwyn looks to it and sighs, pulling out the array of songs they had to put into the boombox, “You can pick.”

The Child claps his hands as he smiles, looking at all the song choices to pick from. he obviously hasn’t heard of any of them, so he results in choosing the most colourful disc of the bunch. The one that piques his interest the most. Elwyn giggles as he picks it up, fumbling around with it as he tries putting it into the boombox.

“Here, let me help,” They pick up the kid, giving him better access to put the disc in. once the disc is in, Elwyn shuts it and presses play. The song soon starts up. It was some sort of disco song. The kid looked at Elwyn with a huge grin, waving his arms up at them. They smiled back at him and scooped him up. They spun around with him, grooving to the beat of the song. The kid couldn’t help but giggle happily as Elwyn sung along with the song, tickling the kid every now and then. 

As all this was happening, Mando was up in the cockpit, thinking over the message he had just received from Greef Karga. Yet what Elwyn had said about Nevarro yesterday had stuck to the back of his mind when Karga had said to come back to Nevarro. Yet the kid would be safe. He got up, opening the door to hear music thumping from in the hanger.  
Mando couldn’t help but smile slightly. Elwyn hadn’t used their boombox in ages. He climbed down the ladder to see a rather… cute sight. The kid was giggling as Elwyn sung the song that was playing, them dancing with the kid in their arms. Mando leaned on the wall, watching as the song soon came to an end. Elwyn smiled at the kid, before noticing Mando standing there.

“Ok, that’s enough for-”

“No, let him choose another one. I need to talk to you though,”

Elwyn looked to him again before placing the Child on the ground, letting him choose another song. They walked over to the man, looking up at his visor.

“One of the Guild leaders contacted me,”

Elwyn tilted their head, “What did he say?”

Mando looked away from them, “He wants me to help him take down the Client that wanted the Child…”

“Well then let’s go,” Elwyn smiled, walking towards the ladder. Yet Mando stopped them, holding his out his arm to block them from climbing up the ladder.

“He’s on Nevarro,”

Elwyn stopped, looking up to Mando. His heart dropped at the look of their face. It was covered with shock, fear. Maybe even a bit of anger. He knew what they had spoken about their home planet. He wanted to wrap them in a hug and never let them go. 

“You can stay on the ship if you-”

“I’m coming with you,” They interrupt him, grasping onto his wrist. He felt the heat from the contact surge through his body and filter into his cheeks. Elwyn looked up at him, determination on their face as they smiled at him. 

“But what you said about Nevarro yesterday…”

“I know that leaving that place was one hurtle to jump, but at some point, I have to stop running from it. Who cares if I see my parents there?”

“But I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,”

Elwyn looked down at their hands, pulling away from Mando to rub at their hands, “It’s just a planet. I hate it, yes, but it’s just a planet.”

Mando sighed, nodding, “I’ll set course for Sorgan. We should get some help,”

Elwyn grinned that shit-eating grin that had become Mando’s favourite thing. The pure joy that leaked from them filtered through that smile. Mando smiled under the helmet as he begun climbing up the ladder.

“The kid looks like he’s chosen the next song,”

Elwyn looked over to the kid and smiled again, crouching down to him, and placing the disc into the boombox. Mando continued his trek up the ladder and into the cockpit, a warm feeling filling his chest as he remembers seeing the kid in their arms, grinning up as they sung the song that played. A family. 

~~~ 

Mando and Elwyn both made their way into the bar where they had first met Cara. Upon entering, they were met with a huge crowd surrounding Cara and a Zabrak. Both were in a fighting stance, attached together by a laser tether. 

“What’s going on?” Elwyn asks Mando, adjusting the child in their arms.

“Some sort of fight I guess,”

“She’s a good fighter,” 

“Mhm,”

Cara manages to gain advantage over the large Zabrak, defeating him with one swift hit. The surrounding crowd applaud and hand her credits, including the Zabrak she was fighting. The group approach her soon after. She smiles upon seeing the three of them.

“You looking for work?” Mando asks, “Greef said that he can clear my name if I help him take down the client who wants the Child.”

“I’d love to, but I need to lay low. There’s a bounty on my head,”

Mando looks to Elwyn, and they grinned, looking back at Cara.

“The client is an ex-imperial warlord!” Elwyn said. She looked to them, then to Mando, a smile rising on her face. 

~~~ 

The two stood at the weapon stash, rummaging through it, and picking out weapons to use. Elwyn just sat on their makeshift bunk, trying to listen in to what they were saying. They laid back on their bunk, feeling their body sink into the cushion of the small mattress. The light above their bed reminded them of the sun above Nevarro. Elwyn would sneak up onto the roof of their parent’s house and lay there, staring up into the blue grey sky and think about anything but the past and present. 

They’d think about their love life. Elaborately planning their wedding day. They’d wear a white suit with a shoulder cape that drape all the way to the floor, walking up or waiting at the altar. Their spouse would be standing there, happy to be marrying the love of their life. And Elwyn would think the same thing. How many kids would they have, or would they adopt. What would their spouse look like? What would their personality be? Or would Elwyn end up like their father, drunken and never home.

“You ok?” Cara spoke.

Elwyn jolted upright, almost hitting their head on the roof of their bunk, “Yeah I’m all good.”

“Off with the Wisties,” Cara spoke, offering a hand to them, which they took gladly.

“The what?” Elwyn snickered.

“Never mind,” Cara smiled, “Mando wants you to look in his armoury and select a weapon.”

Elwyn looked to their handgun that sat at their hip, “But I already have a weapon.”

“A simple handgun won’t do much against a bunch of imperial troopers,” Mando spoke up from the armoury. Elwyn sighed and approached him, looking at the array of weapons he had stored away. Looking over the stash, they frowned. All of it was just a bunch of guns. 

“Do you have anything… daintier? Easier to carry?” Elwyn asked, turning expectantly to Mando. They battered they eyes a little up at him before a small smile crept onto their lips.  
He sighed heavily before opening another drawer and pulling out another handgun. Elwyn looked at it before back at Mando, “I already have a handgun.”

“Take it, and press this button,” Mando said, pointing to a button above the trigger. Elwyn took it hesitantly and did what he said. 

The sides of the gun sprung open into a crossbow-like shape. Elwyn’s eyes widened with surprise, not suspecting that to happen. And with that, they examined it further. The bow had intricate swirling patterns carved into it, the sleek black paintjob had started scraping off around where the bolts would be fired from it. The handle grip was plush and comfy, just like their handgun handle. 

“One of my bounty’s had this. I had no use for it, so I put it in that compartment,”

“Does it have the bolts?”

“No. It must have been a normal handgun before the bounty created it into that,” Mando said, pointing to the obvious handiwork done to the weapon. 

Elwyn smiled up at him, pulling out a new holster to clip to their belt, sliding the closed crossbow into the holster,” Well, it’s perfect.” Mando felt his cheeks heat up and his heartbeat quicken. 

Suddenly, the ship rocked and swerved, causing the crew to stumble. Elwyn almost crashed to the ground, yet Mando stabilized them, grasping onto their shoulders, steadying them.

“What was that? Did we hit something?” Cara asked.

The crew rushed to the cockpit to find the Child messing with the controls. He looked to them all with a cheeky grin, pressing more buttons. Elwyn rushed to him, scooping him up as Mando quickly steadied the ship, fixing what the little Womp Rat did. 

“We need someone to look after him, you know anybody?” Cara asked, holding out a finger to the Child. 

Elwyn looked to the Beskar covered man, waiting for an answer. He turned his head towards us.

“I may know someone,”

~~~ 

The group landed near a moisture farm, Blurrgs kept in large, fenced areas. An old Ugnaught approached them all, guiding them into his house.

“And who are these two?” He asked Mando, sitting down. 

“Oh yes, Kuiil, meet Elwyn and Cara,” Mando said, gesturing to the two either side of him.

Elwyn smiled, offering a hand to Kuiil, “It’s nice to meet you.”

He took it, shaking it firmly, “To you too,” he looked towards a small curtain-drawn doorway then back to Elwyn, “Come help my unit make some tea.”

“Tea?” Elwyn muttered as he got up to guide them into his small kitchen.

“I have spoken,”

Elwyn looked to the other two before following him into the small room. There, working over the stove, was an IG-11 unit, waiting for the water to boil. Elwyn approaches it and Kuiil exits. They look to the unit, and one of its many little red eyes look to me.

“Who are you?” its robotic voice spoke.

“I’m Elwyn. Kuiil asked me to help you make the tea,”

It looked back to the water before gesturing over to a small cupboard above them, “Grab the cups.”

Elwyn smiled, reaching up and pulling out four cups for them all. The pot whistles loudly and IG took it off the stove, pouring the water into the cups. 

“I thought you were an assassin droid,”

“Kuiil reprogrammed me. I do not kill anymore,”

Elwyn looked to him, smiling, “That’s sweet.”

Elwyn begins preparing two cups, whilst IG prepares the other two. Silence settles over them for a few more seconds before Elwyn looked to the unit again.

“How does it feel. You know, to work like this?”

“Good, I think. Yes. It feels good,” 

Elwyn grinned widely at him, “That’s good!”

They finished up the tea before grasping onto the cups and moving into the room where the others were. Elwyn went first, putting the two cups in their hands down in front of Cara and Mando. They sat down beside Mando, when suddenly, Mando whipped out his blaster, including Cara. Both blasters were pointed to IG.

“Put your blasters down!” Kuiil growled. 

Elwyn grasped onto Mando’s wrist, trying to pull it down as they glared at him, their gaze so stern it could almost bore holes into the side of his helmet. 

“He’s not a killer! He told me so!”

“It cannot stop killing. It’s an assassin. Programmed to kill,” Mando hissed, not breaking eye contact with the droid. However, he just stood there, still holding the tea.   
“I found him in the encampment and bought him home. I repaired the droid, yet it had to relearn everything. Over time, however, it developed its own personality. However, despite its reprogramming, it will still protect,”

Cara had lowered her blaster, yet Mando still had it pointed. Elwyn’s hand squeezed at his wrist, their eyes saddening, filling with silent pleas as they looked to the side of Mando’s helmet. He turned his head slightly to them, seeing their face fill with sadness and fear of him shooting the droid. In such little time, Elwyn had grown a liking to the peaceful unit. And they didn’t want to see anything bad happen to him. 

“Please,” Elwyn whispered.

Mando sighed, lowering his blaster, finally. Elwyn rested their head against the side of his helmet, letting their heartbeat slowdown from its high. They muttered a small thank you.  
“I want to hire you, Kuiil,” Mando speaks after a long pause, “I need you to look after the Child.”

“I’m not willing to put myself into another’s services. I’ve spent too long trying to free myself from services,”

“But we know no one else who is willing to take care of the Child while we are on Nevarro,” Elwyn spoke up. They were partially lying. Peli was a candidate to look after him. She proved herself worthy of the title ‘babysitter’ when she took care of him whilst both Elwyn and Mando were hunting Fennec. Plus, she was, to Elwyn mostly, trustworthy to keep the Child safe. But Mando always gets his way. Stubborn. 

“I could reprogram IG as a nanny,” Kuiil offers.

“No. Absolutely not. I won’t let that thing near him,”

Elwyn looks to him, a frown forming on their face, “If you want Kuiil to come with us, then that droid is the only way.”

Mando ignores them.

“Droids are not good or bad, but are neutral reflections of those who imprint them,”

“I still don’t trust that thing,” 

“I insist that IG comes along. I won’t accept money. I am only doing it to protect the child from imperial slavery. However, the Blurrgs must come too,”

“But-”

“I have spoken,” Kuiil finishes, getting up to get ready.

~~~ 

The Blurrgs were kept in a pen in the hanger and everyone hung around in the same room. Kuiil was tinkering with something as the other three were entertaining themselves with arm wrestling. Elwyn grinned once both Mando and Cara locked arms, starting the match.

“Come on Cara! Beat his ass!” Elwyn grinned widely. Mando glanced at Elwyn for a second before returning his gaze back to the match.

“Why are you cheering for her?” he grunted.

“Because it’s payback for being mean to IG,” Elwyn huffed, smirking slightly at the Beskar covered man. He shook his head, returning his focus back to the match.  
The Child looked to the three of them, panic filling his tiny chest and he raised his arm, feeling the force flow through him, directing it at Cara. She felt a tightness in her throat, as though someone was choking her, yet no one had their hand to her throat. She pulled away from the arm-wrestling match to grasp at her throat, hoping that would do something to stop the choking. She let out pain grunts.

“Cara? Cara are you ok?!” Elwyn cried, rushing towards her. They looked around to see the Child reaching out, focusing. He was using his powers!

“Hey no! Stop!” Mando growled, picking up the kid. He stopped choking her with his powers as he felt Mando scoop him up. Elwyn looked to the kid with a sad face.

“Hey, it’s ok! She wasn’t hurting him! It was just a game!” Elwyn spoke calmly towards the kid, hoping he would calm down at that.

“Cara is our friend,” Mando reassured him, putting him back down. Elwyn looked to Cara, who was rubbing at her neck slightly, still eyeing the Child cautiously. 

“I now understand your story with the Mudhorn now. But I cannot name the power your little one uses,” Kuiil speaks, filling in the silence yet again.

Elwyn gets up, moving to the Child and picking him up. They gave Mando a small smile before moving towards the cockpit, hoping that a little space would calm the kid and maybe even put him to sleep. They sat down in the co-pilot seat, letting the Child nestle into their arms and closing his big black eyes. Elwyn smiled, stroking his head gently as his little breaths evened out to a slow rhythm. Asleep. Elwyn rested their head against the seat, feeling their bones ache against the plush feeling of the chair.

“You scared me, kid,” They muttered, feeling their eyes grow heavy. They wondered what Nevarro would bring. Would they run into their parents? They felt their body tense at the thought. What would they think if they saw their child with a bounty hunter, tiny green child who happened to be 50 years old and an ex-rebel fighter? Elwyn swallowed hard, shaking the thought from their head. They had to suck it up. If they saw their parents, who cares. They’re old enough to be their own person and do what they want with their life. Even if it is run off with a bounty hunter and his weird kid. Besides, this was for the kid and Mando’s freedom. And Elwyn wouldn’t pass on that. They smiled, trailing a finger across the top of his ear, watching it twitch slightly at the unexpected feeling. 

“You ok?” 

Elwyn turned their head lazily to look at Mando, standing in the doorway of the cockpit.

“Just thought the kid needed some space,”

He folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the frame of the door, “or do you mean that you need some space?”

Elwyn smiled at him, their eyes narrowing slightly, “You know me best,” they replied sarcastically, turning back to look at the Child. Mando walked over the the pilot seat, turning to face Elwyn. They didn’t look up at him, to infatuated with the sleeping alien on their lap.

“You wanna talk about it?” he muttered gently, trying not to probe at anything to hurt Elwyn.

They smiled slightly, “just thinking. About my parents. And if I’ll see them when we get to Nevarro.”

Mando tensed. He now knew about their views on their parents. And he had thought about it when he received the transmission from Greef. But Elwyn was insistent on going. And Mando knew he couldn’t stop them. Both due to their stubbornness and his love for them. Maybe now the anxiety that Mando was feeling was now affecting Elwyn.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t-”

Elwyn put their hand on his knee, smiling gently to him. His heart melted, “who cares. They have no control over me anymore. I’m ready to go back.”  
Mando nodded, putting his hand on Elwyn’s, squeezing it back.

~~~ 

The group finally land on the outskirts of Nevarro, the Crest landing roughly against the ground. There were only three Blurrgs, so Elwyn hitched a ride with Mando, sitting behind him and clinging closely to his back as the creatures travel across the terrain. IG was back on the ship, and the Child floated close by in his pram safe and sound, thanks to Kuiil and his handiwork. The group finally made it to where Greef had told them to meet him. He stood there, three other bounty hunters standing behind him. Elwyn felt their skin crawl just by the way the three others looked at the group. Greef however, was smiling widely upon seeing his old friend Mando.

“Sorry to arrange such a remote rendezvous point! The town has been taken over by ex-empire forces, so I thought being out here would be safer,”

No one replies. Greef stands there awkwardly, nodding slightly.

“I suggest that rebel shock trooper stay behind. She should guard the ship from the Jawas!”

“She’s coming,”

“What about your friend behind you?”

“They’re coming too,”

He nodded, then gestured towards Cara, “At least tell her to cover her rebel tattoo.” 

She just stares. Elwyn does too, although it wasn't as intense as Cara's. She could literally kill with the glare.

Greef looks to Mando again before smiling, “May I see the little one!?”

Mando simply nods, guiding the pram over to Greef. The Child coos up at him as Greef takes him in his arms, smiling at the little one. He compliments the kid, calling him cute. Elwyn smirks, being somewhat proud of the Child for getting complimented. Proud parent moment maybe?

He places the kid back in his pram before gesturing to everyone to follow, “We should get moving and find a place to camp. It’s getting dark now.”

~~~ 

The dark and cold night air of Nevarro settled over them all as they sat around a fire, food cooking over the fire for everyone. Cara digs into her food and Elwyn helps the Child shovel bits of meat into his mouth, watching him chew it aggressively before reaching out his little hands to single for more. They heard Greef chuckle behind them, pointing to the kid.

“He must be carnivorous based. The way he eats says it all,”

Elwyn looked to the kid again as he smiles up at them, a bit of meat stuck to the side of his mouth. They could hear Greef and Mando going over the plan behind them. They listened intently as they continued feeding the Child. enter the common house, show the Client the bait, and then kill him at the table. His reinforcements are just mercenaries. Four bodyguards to be exact. They kept running the plan over and over in their mind before nodding to themselves. 

What could go wrong?

Suddenly, a loud screech could be heard from above. Elwyn looked up and noticed the silhouette of a Native Reptavian barrelling down towards them all. It managed to snag at Greef’s arm, leaving a nasty bite in its wake. Before they knew it, more started swarming the camp sight. Elwyn shot forward towards the Child’s pram and placed him inside, closing it quickly and pushing it away as one lunged forward towards them. They whipped out their crossbow from their side holster and aimed. The barrel of the crossbow grew a light blue, powering up. Soon, the bolt shone a bright blue before zooming towards the Reptavian, whistling through the air before a sickening crack sounded the air as the blast sot right through the body of the beast. It crashed to the ground. Elwyn looked to the crossbow in shock. They didn’t know it would be that powerful. Yet it was a pain for the bolt to finally fire. They put the crossbow back at their side before picking up their handgun, blasting at the remanding Reptavians. One of them captures a Blurrg and one of Greef’s bodyguards, killing them with their claws as they flew away with their meal. Elwyn’s face dropped as Kuiil fired was best he could at the beast, trying to get his Blurrg back.  
Another tries to swoop another Blurrg up, yet he shot it down. Elwyn rushed forward before they felt a bolt of a gun fire right past their face, accidently shooting the Blurrg. Kuiil’s face fell with sadness. Mando managed to scare the remaining Reptavians off with his flamethrower, feeling relief wash over him as he heard their screeches grow more and more distant as they flew away in fright.

Elwyn pets Kuiil on the shoulder, mouthing a ‘sorry’ to him, which he nods in thanks. They all group around Greef, who’s badly injured from the bite, poison spreading through his arm quickly.

He grunted, looking at the wound, “I think this is the end of the line for me.”

Cara rolled her eyes, “Don’t be so dramatic,” she looked to the group expectantly, “Does anyone have any medpacs?”

Everyone shook their head, including Elwyn. They soon notice the Child waddling over to Greef’s arm, his little hand extending towards the wound. Mando tries to pull him away yet Elwyn springs forward and stops Mando, noticing his little face screw up in concentration. He places his little hand against the wound, and it begins to disappear. They look at him with a wide smile as everyone else stares at him with a dumbfounded look. Before they all knew it, the wound was gone.

Greef looked to the Child then back at his wound. He had used his powers to save him.

~~~ 

It was the next day and everyone had finally made it to the outskirts of the town, looking over it intently. Elwyn felt their hands tighten into a fist.

Suddenly, gun fire was heard behind them and they whipped around, seeing Mando and Cara with their weapons drawn and Greef the same, his two remaining associates laying dead in the floor.

“Our initial plan was to kill you and take the Child” He explains, looking at them all, “But after he healed me… I just couldn’t go through with it.”

They continued to aim their weapons at him. He had put his away though. Elwyn hadn’t even touched theirs.

“Please, if you kill me, the kid won’t be safe. The Client is obsessed with him!”  
“I don’t believe you,” Cara hisses, aiming closer to Greef. Mando tenses. Elwyn tries reaching out to him, yet recoils, afraid.

“Maybe you should hear him out!” Kuiil speaks, sitting atop the remaining Blurrg. 

“Please. We all have a mutual interest in killing the Client. We could use the Child as bait,”

“No. I’ll turn myself in and kill him. We’ll use the pram as a decoy,” Mando spoke up.

“I’m going with Mando. I’ve been around the Child so it might add to the act,” Elwyn added, standing beside Mando.

“This is insane!”

Mando looks to Elwyn. There was a flame in their eyes. A flame of confidence. A flame of love. They wanted safety for the Child and him. He knew it now. They would do anything. He would have thought it was suicide, yet he was doing the same, and Elwyn loved the kid just as much as he did. They smiled that cheek splitting smile that he has now grown to love and adore. Mando smiled slightly underneath his helmet and nodded to them.

He looked to Cara, “It’s the only way.”

“That settles it. Kuiil, take the kid back to the ship and engage security protocols once onboard,” Mando says. The Ugnaught nods, taking the child from his pram.

“I will protect him with my life. And Cara, cover your stripes,”

Elwyn walks forward to him, looking up and smiling sadly, “Goodbye...”

Kuiil smiles gently down at them from the Blurrg, “Never say goodbye. It sounds like I’ll never see you again.”

Elwyn looks to the ground, thinking on it before looking back up at him, grinning widely, “Ok. Well, I’ll see you later. Please be safe!”

Kuiil smiles as Elwyn hands him the Child before closing the empty pram. He takes him in his arms, “Don’t worry. I’ll be ok.” He says before leaving quickly, the child bundled in his blanket as he rested in Kuiil’s arms.

Elwyn looks to Mando before smiling again, their hand finding his before giving it a light squeeze.

~~~ 

The group make it to the entrance of the town. Both Elwyn and Mando had been cuffed and Cara had her tattoo covered. They all ran into two scout troopers atop speeder bikes. One of them stopped them.

“I need to see your chain code please,” He asks Greef, to which he complies.

The scout trooper gestures to Mando with his head, “can I have the helmet once he’s dead?”

Greef looked to Mando before putting on a frown, turning back to the scout, “That helmet is mine! I’m putting it on my wall!”

The scout huffs, possibly rolling his eyes under that helmet before letting the group enter the town.

“Seriously?” Mando mutters to him.

“What?!”

They continue further into the town. Elwyn tensed at the number of troopers littering the town, everyone cowering in their houses for safety. 

“The imperials increased their presence after you busted our safe house,” Greef spoke to Mando, noticing both his and the other’s wandering gaze.

They all soon reached the cantina that the Client was waiting in. four stormtrooper bodyguards stand behind him, blasters at the ready. Elwyn then Mando shuffle into a booth that the Client offered to sit at. Greef followed behind both of them and Cara stood, listening intently. Elwyn could only look down at their hands, too nervous to look at the Client, afraid of being found out just by looking into their eyes. Their head snapped up to look at the man when heard them being talked about.

“This one works alongside the Mandalorian,” Greef explains.

The Client smiles, leaning forward to look more intently at them. Elwyn looked away, focusing their gaze on Mando’s silver armour strongly. 

“A nanny for the Child?”

Greef laughed. Maker was it a fake laugh, “Possibly!”

Elwyn rolls their eyes, glancing slightly to the Client before returning their gaze to Mando’s armour. He reaches for the pram, asking to see the Child yet Greef tries to stop him.

“U-uh… He’s sleeping!”

“We’ll be quiet,” Elwyn’s breath hitches in their throat as they manoeuvre their bound hands to where their blaster would be yet cursing to themselves once they remembered that Cara and Greef had taken their weapons. As though some holy divine heard their feared panic, a stormtrooper walks in and interrupts the small meeting, causing Elwyn to finally breathe again. 

“Moff Gideon is contacting you, sir,”

The Client stepped away, setting up a holoprojector on the bar counter. Greef quickly leans over and undoes the cuffs on both Mando and Elwyn, before slipping them their weapons.

“Our odds are bad. There are way more troopers in here than four,”

Greef looked around, standing beside her now, “I thought there would just be four.”

Suddenly, as if the dust had settled for long enough, gunfire rung through the air and through the large window behind the bar of the cantina. The group got down low as the stormtroopers and Client were shot dead by the outside army. Elwyn crawled over to where Mando was, holding onto his arm as they readied their blaster in hand. He looked to them, fear filling their eyes as the gunfire never seemed to end. They looked at him before nodding, and the group moved to different sides of the cantina window, avoiding the rain of fire. Soon, the sound of blaster fire settled, and the group could get a good look at their possible saviours. 

Sadly enough, they were enemies. An Army of Death Troopers stood outside, blasters at the ready. An imperial transport landed soon after, out loading more stormtroopers. 

“We’re outnumbered!” Cara hissed.

Elwyn looks to the Mandalorian next to them as he reaches for a commlink in his utility belt. He looks around before speaking into it, “Kuiil! Take the kid and get out of here as fast as you can! We’re surrounded!” 

\-----

Kuiil hears the Mandalorian shouting at him through his commlink. He nods, kicking at the side of the Blurrg, signalling it to run faster. He was close. He knew it. Anxiety was starting to bubble in his chest, yet he forced it out. He can make it. He needed to get the Child to safety. Kuiil ignored his cries, too focused on getting to the ship. He kicked again at the Blurrg as he begins to hear speeder bikes wiring from behind him. He glanced behind him and sure enough, there were two scout troopers.   
They were getting closer. He held the Child closer to his chest as though that would keep both of them safe from harm.

\-----

A TIE fighter lands outside the cantina, the huff of the hatch opening filling the eerie silence of the battle ground. Elwyn grabbed at their crossbow, readying the next bolt. A man emerged from the TIE fighter, clad in black armour, his long cape fluttering in the small breeze behind him. 

It must be the Moff Gideon guy that the Client was speaking to.

“You have something I want,” His voice boomed, loud and clear. It caused a jolt of fear to zoom through Elwyn’s nerves and they huddled closer to Mando for security. He accepted their close proximity and their fear, moving them slightly behind him to hopefully make them feel more ok.

“You all have no idea what you have in your possession,”

\----- 

The speeder bikes grew closer. Kuiil could see the ship growing closer and closer. Yet the speeder bikes where getting even closer. He could hear Mando’s voice through the commlink, yet he still chose to ignore it, too focused on his mission. He was so close. 

\----- 

Gideon still stood there, waiting. He knew they were in there. He could hear the faint voice of what he presumed to be the Mandalorian. He took in a deep breath before speaking again.

“The child will be mine in a few moments,”

\----- 

Kuiil is close enough to the ship that he lowers the ramp to the Crest, hearing the bikes closer than ever before.

He cannot loose!

\----- 

“He means more to me than you will ever know,”

Elwyn clenched their hands into fists as rage burned in their chest at what he had said. They scoffed quietly, “I could say the same thing to you.”

Mando kept shouting into the commlink, afraid of the worst as Kuiil didn’t reply. Elwyn looked to him as panic started leaking into his voice. Their heart hammered in their chest as their thoughts spiralled. No, the Child was ok. He was ok. He’s fine.

\----- 

The sound of the speeder bikes grew distant from Kuiil as they zoomed off and back to the town of Nevarro. He felt pain spread through his back as he lay there on the ground. His Blurrg had been shot aside, dead. All he could remember was the image of one of the scouts scooping up the Child from the ground. He failed. He promised to be safe.  
His vision went black. The ringing in his ears dulled to an echoing silence. His bod went limp, and his mind went blissfully empty.

His heart was the last to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That hurt to write honestly! I really like Kuiil and his death made me really sad when I watched the show, so writing it made me even more sad :( but! If I made any mistakes, errors etc, please tell me because I'm always looking to improve my skills as a writer!


	7. Oh Lonesome Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the Nevarro fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by the song Oh Lonesome Me by Don Gibson.
> 
> Last chapter!!! I had fun writing this, but I was also very sad writing the last part of the chapter. I also created this into a series so subscribe to it to get notified for when I write season 2 with Elwyn in it!!! Yes I will write for season 2, don't worry!!! As always, enjoy the chapter!!!

Elwyn looks around, trying to find a way out. They needed to move. They needed to get their thoughts off of Kuiil and why he wasn’t answering. They looked to Mando expectantly as he put the commlink away. He looked to them before glancing at the others.

“we should flee to the sewers where my clan has a covert. There should be an access point around here,”

He scanned the room with his visor before locating it, moving towards the chair covering it. Cara helped him. Elwyn looked outside to see some troopers assembling a gun together. A rather big gun. Elwyn looked to the group, pointing towards the gun. Cara huffs before opening fire on the sewer grate, yet it didn’t budge.

“My troops have assembled the E-web heavy repeating blaster. You should know this weapon, Cara Dune,”

She looked out to the troops, feeling her heartbeat quicken in her chest, “You’re a rebel shock trooper yes? From Alderaan? Then you should be well acquainted.”

Elwyn looked to her before she tried prying the grate open with her hands. Elwyn’s felt their heart beating loudly against their chest.

“And… Din Djarin,”

Mando’s head whipped around to face the troops. Elwyn looked to the Beskar covered man, noticing his reaction to the name. He shifted awkwardly on his feet. The name. His name. it was Mando’s name. Elwyn looked out to the troops, feeling their chest tighten and their hands clench together. They should have been fine to hear a name to the man. They should be happy to have a real name for him, but it was wrong. He didn’t want anyone to know, and Elwyn was fine with that. Mando had trust issues. He rarely opened up to anyone. Elwyn knew that. But that was his business. His real name was his business. And to have this asshole who wanted to hurt the Child, Elwyn’s and Mando’s child, breach the privacy of the man that Elwyn loved, made Elwyn’s body boil with a complete rage that they never knew existed. 

They looked to Mando before rushing over to him and enveloping him in a hug. He didn’t know why, but he returned the embrace. They gripped onto him for dear life before looking at him in the eyes. Or where they thought his eyes were. 

“Don’t listen to him Mando. Just focus on getting us out of here!”

He felt tears prick at his eyes. Despite knowing his name. despite having it spoken out loud for everyone to hear, they still continue to call him Mando. Respecting his wishes. His trust. 

“Oh, and how could I forget about Elwyn Fable!” they heard Gideon boom.

Elwyn whipped around to face the window, “You shut your Kriffing mouth!!” They cried.

“Born and raised on Nevarro by two not very kind parents! So, you turn your mind to dancing,”

“Shut it!” They growl, almost animalistic.

“Yet… you don’t know the truth, do you?” Gideon teased, “Your parents aren’t your real ones.”

Elwyn felt their body loosen, confusion rolling over them.

“Your real mother fought in the Clone Wars! She was a valuable asset to the Empire. Yet she disappeared before they could their hands on her,”

Elwyn turned away. Fake parents? Mother fought in the Clone Wars? Cara gripped onto their shoulder, turning them away from the window, “Ignore him. We need to get going!” Elwyn nodded, trying to drown him out.

“We can’t! we’re surrounded!” Greef hissed.

“We can’t wait! That is an E-web heavy repeating blaster, we don’t stand a chance against it!”

“Then what do we do?”

“We shoot out way out,” Cara finishes, readying her blaster. 

Elwyn looks around. They all need to get out. Elwyn needed to find answers. They needed to calm down. Rest. Their body ached from all the anxiety that they had felt pool in their chest over the past couple of hours. 

“I’m surprised that Moff Gideon is even alive. Wasn’t he executed for war crimes?”

Mando felt his head spinning. His name. how. How did he know. There must have been some way. 

“He knows my name. It hasn’t been spoken since I was a child,”

“Did you grow up on Mandalore?” Greef asks.

“No. I wasn’t born there,”

“So you’re not a Mandalorian?” Greef questions. 

Mando swallows, not looking to anyone but the floor in front of him. Elwyn wraps their hand in his, giving it a squeeze. For some reason, it calms his nerves a bit.

“Mandalorians are not a race,” Cara says, looking to Mando. 

He looked to her before nodding, “It’s a creed,” Elwyn looks to him as he starts talking again, “When I came of age, I swore to their creed. The only record of my name was in the registers of Mandalore.”

Elwyn looks out, noticing the troops still station there. Waiting. Gideon too. They looked to the ground before glancing over to the others.

“Maybe they haven’t killed us yet because he’s waiting for the Child,”

Mando looks to them before pulling out the commlink, calling to Kuiil, in fear of something happening to him. Elwyn’s words rung in his mind. He must be waiting. Which means something must have happened. Something. Or maybe nothing. He feared for the worst when he heard the commlink buzz to signal a reply incoming.

“Kuiil has been terminated. I have the Child in my possession. I am fulfilling my base structure to nurse and protect,” 

Elwyn’s heart sunk. Kuiil was dead. They felt tears prick at their eyes upon hearing the news. At least the Child was safe. Safe with someone that Elwyn could trust, yet Mando was the opposite. They looked to Mando who had a visibly tight hold on the commlink. Elwyn reached up to grip onto the non-armoured part of his shoulder. He looked to them, noticing the trust their eyes held for IG.

The sound of a speeder bike filled the silence in the air. Elwyn readied their weapons again upon noticing IG zoom through the troops, shooting a ton down. The group spring forward, joining to droid in the fight. Elwyn shot a bolt from their crossbow towards a stormtrooper carrier, hoping that would allow no one to escape. They sprint over to Mando, a smile on their face.

“Told you he’d be safe! You can trust him!” They cried over the blaster fire.

Mando could only look at them. He still didn’t, but he could thank the unit for keeping the Child safe at least. He watched Elwyn re-holstered their weapons and run over to the E-web heavy repeating blaster, trying to pick the gun up from its stand. He soon caught on and moved over to them, helping them pick up the gun. Elwyn looked to him before giving him a nod, and they fired the gun together, they shot down more than several troopers. The two put the gun down before returning to using their normal weapons. Elwyn could only smile his favourite smile. And for a second, he wishes that they could see his smile that he currently had on his face. 

Cara jumps back into the Cantina as stormtroopers flood it, her blaster killing all of them and driving them away. Elwyn notices Gideon approaching the two of them. They nudge Mando and he turns, aiming his blaster right at the man. Yet before he could fire a shot, Gideon shoots a box of ammunition, exploding right behind the two. Elwyn felt a sharp pain spread throughout their back, yet Mando was worse. He felt a huge searing pain shoot through his head, feeling the warm pool of blood sliding down the back of his head from under the helmet. Elwyn grunted, getting up off the ground, cuts and bruises forming from the impact they had with the ground. They turned their head to see Mando on the ground, not moving. The adrenaline of the shock kicked in and they scrambled over to him, prying him back into the cantina for safety, ignoring the splitting pain shooting down their back. 

“What happened?” Cara asked, panic filling her voice upon seeing the two injured.

“w-we were caught in that e-explosion!” Elwyn grunted, laying Mando down against the wall near the sewer grate, “He’s been injured worse than me.”

Greef and IG soon enter the cantina, surrounding the injured pair. Cara leans down, trying to find where he was hurt, soon finding the blood dripping down the back of his helmet. Elwyn looked to her as she pulled her hand out from behind his head, her hand covered in blood. Elwyn’s face drained of colour at seeing the amount of blood on her hand. They reached for his helmet, trying to pry it from his head, yet he gripped onto their wrists, stopping them.

“Don’t. Please,” He grunted, energy draining from him.

Elwyn felt tears begin to pool in their eyes, “No! You’re hurt! I need to help you!”

“T-the creed,” 

Elwyn shook their head, biting their lip to try and stop the tears from falling, “I respect your creed Mando, I really do! But I don’t want you dying!!!” 

Mando moved his hands from their wrists to their hands, squeezing them tightly. Elwyn looks around, noticing IG burning a whole through the grate. They smiled weakly, looking at him again.

“Please, let me help you so we can leave!”

Mando didn’t move. Or reply, but he kept a strong hold on their hands. Elwyn felt their heart breaking, watching his breathing become laboured. They wrapped him in a hug, not caring about anyone seeing. They didn’t want him to go. They didn’t want to see him go. They didn’t want to leave him. They…

They loved him.

He felt him move from underneath, pulling out a crest tied to a leather string. Elwyn pulled away, looking down at it. They knew what it was. They saw it in books before. A Mythosaur skull. He puts it in Elwyn’s hands, closing their fingers around the necklace.

“Take this to my tribe. Tell them that the Child is under our protection,” He huffs, “Please look after the kid for me.”

Elwyn shakes their head, looking to Cara, “We can make it. We can do it.”

Suddenly, the heavy sounds of footsteps filled the silent room. They turned around to see a red-striped incinerator trooper holding a flamethrower. He begins to set the furniture ablaze, plunging the room into bright oranges and reds. The heat of the flames grew stronger and Elwyn’s grip around Mando grew stronger with it. 

“Leave! I’ll h-hold them off!” Mando grunts, trying to move for his blaster.

“No! You’re coming with us!” Cara hisses at him. 

The trooper aimed towards the group, shooting a large flame towards them. The Child then stepped forward, using his abilities to deflect the flame. Elwyn could only watch as the flames licked closely at everyone, shooting back at the trooper, and driving him out. The kid soon collapsed on the ground once the trooper left, drained from using his powers. Elwyn scooped him up, giving him to Cara. Elwyn returns to Mando’s side, gripping onto him tightly. IG kicks the grate open, finally.

“Come on! We can go! Come on!” Elwyn sobbed, feeling the tears beginning to fall.

“No, leave. Stay safe,” He grunts, moving to push Elwyn off of him.

They feel hot tears begin rolling down their cheeks, sobbing heavily as they wrap him in a hug. He hugged back, blood staining their clothes. Yet they didn’t care. They just wanted him. Wanted him to stay safe. Wanted him to come with them. They gripped tightly onto him.

“I love you,” They whispered to him before Cara pulled them off of him, shoving them into the sewer grate. She turned to IG, “Promise me you’ll bring him back.”

IG promised, and she made her way into the grate. Elwyn stood there, looking back to the opening. Cara gripped onto their arm, pulling them along. All they could do was watch as the cantina grew smaller and smaller as they went further and further into the sewer.

“He’ll be ok,” Cara says. They turned to look at her, before locking gaze with the ground.

“How can you be so sure?”

She laughed, slapping Elwyn on the back, which got a little laugh out of them, “He’s Mando! Of course he’ll be fine!” 

Elwyn knew that she was trying to cheer them up, but they could hear the panic lacing their voice. But she was right. He could live through anything really. But seeing him back there made something in Elwyn’s heart break. They looked at her, feeling tears begin pooling in their eyes again. Cara’s face fell and she pulled Elwyn into a hug. She would normally tell someone to suck it up. That was just how she is. She needed to put on a tough persona. She needed to be the rock. But Elwyn was different. She knew they had feelings for the Beskar covered man. It was so obvious. And them seeing him in such a state put them into a state of panic. Elwyn accepted her hug, which was rather nice actually.

“He’ll be ok. Trust me,”

Elwyn looked to her and nodded, before they both parted and continued further into the tunnel. 

~~~ 

Mando adjusted his helmet back into his head, the bacta spray working immediately as he stood up. A loophole. Of course the kriffing droid found a loophole. But he couldn’t be happier to have that pain leave the back of his head. He could taste blood on his lips as he and IG made their way through the grate, leading into the tunnels. 

He had to get to Elwyn. Their voice rung in his mind over and over again. I love you. That made his heart swell, yet it soon hurt as he remembered their pained face as Cara pulled them away from him. Maker, to feel them in his arms again. To know that they’re safe. Both them and the Child. He sped up, ignoring the droid’s demands to slow down. He could soon hear footsteps up ahead. He was close. Mando rounded to corner and the first thing he saw was the snow-white hair of Elwyn. 

“Elwyn,” He spoke, his modulated voice breaking through their roundabout thinking. Their head whipped around to look at him.

“Mando!” They rushed forward, gently wrapping him in a hug. He rested his head against theirs, clinging tightly to them, just like they did to him in the cantina. They sobbed lightly, a huge smile on their face upon seeing him.

“You’re ok!” They sniffled, a tear rolling down their cheek.

He bought a gloved finger up to their cheek and wiped the tear away, “I could say the same thing to you.”

“How do we get out of here?” Cara asks, looking to the couple as she hands IG the Child.

“We could take the lava river to the surface?”

“No. The empire will definitely be waiting for us,” Mando replied, gently pulling Elwyn off of him so they could keep moving forward, “Let’s get closer to the covert.”

The tunnels soon grew more wider as the group approached a doorway, the outline of a Mythosaur skull hanging above the door, presuming that a skull symbol once hung there. They walked inside further to find a pile of Mandalorian helmets and armour pieces, all singed from an attack. Mando knelt down in front of the pile, a wave of sadness washing over him at the sight of his fallen comrades. He picked up a piece before turning his head to Greef.

“Did the guild have a roll in this massacre?” He growled, approaching Greef and staring him down.

“My mercenaries melted away during it!” 

Elwyn gripped onto Mando, trying to pry him away from Greef.

“The empire arrived following your escape with the Child and slaughtered those that remained,” A voice spoke. Everyone looked to see another Mandalorian. A woman. She picked up some of the armour pieces, “Some may have escaped off world though.”

“Come with us,” Mando replied, following after her. The group followed too.

“I refuse to abandon this place until I salvage what remains,” she snapped back, making her way into a smelter room. She must be the armourer. She places the armour pieces into the smelter, melting the metal down to make something. 

“May I see the asset?” She asks, walking back over to the group.

Mando points to the kid, wrapped snuggling against IG’s chest, his big black eyes blinking lazily up at the armourer. 

“He saved me from the Mudhorn,”

“He looks helpless,” She says, staring intently at the Child. 

“He may look helpless. But he’s not injured,” he turns to watch the armourer walk over to the melted metal, “He can move objects with his mind.”

She glances slightly at him before returning to what she was doing, “I am familiar with Mandalorian legends about great battles between Mandalore The Great and a group of enemy sorcerers called Jedi,”

“Is… is the Child an enemy?”

Elwyn looks to the kid. He hardly could be. His powers were strong, but he was just a kid. A lost little kid who just needed a family. Someone to love him and care for him.  
“His kind were enemies, but this individual is not,” She looks to Elwyn, a small smile broke out underneath her helmet upon noticing the way they hung around Mando, clinging closely to him, “he is a foundling and by the creed, it is yours to raise.”

“Are you telling me to search the galaxy for a force of enemy sorcerers?” he asks doubtfully.

The armourer nods to him, “This is the way.”

The sounds of heavy footsteps started growing closer, clanking of hard plastic armour filling the air. They were coming! Elwyn looks to Mando then to the armourer.

“There’s a tunnel which leads to the lava river. You must leave in order to protect the foundling until it comes of age. It is the way,”

She moves over to her tools and pulls out some sort of blow torch device device, moving to Mando before burning something into his right pauldron, “you have earned your signet. You are now a clan.”

She pulls away to reveal her work. Elwyn looks around at it. A Mudhorn’s head. His clan. Their clan. they smile up at him and he nods down to them. 

“I’ll wear it with honour,”

The group begin moving out, heading towards the the lava river. Mando stays behind with IG, the armourer wanting to give him something. A jetpack. He was now complete. He was told to train with it. He nods, letting her hand it to IG.

“take care of it until he’s well enough to use it,”

IG nods slightly before moving out. Mando feels her hand on his shoulder and he turns. She looks out into the tunnels before turning her focus back to Mando.

“You love them, don’t you?”

He tilted his head at her.

“The one with the white hair,”

He nods hesitantly. Was it bad? Was he not aloud to fall in love? He was ready to have her demand his helmet over. He was ready to be kicked from the creed. Yet she squeezed his shoulder, nodding at him.

“Take care of them. They must mean a whole lot to you,”

Mando nodded, moving out with IG. They both soon caught up with the group. Elwyn smirked up at Mando, “What took you so long?” 

He huffed in amusement. 

The group soon reached the lava river, stopping at the ferry. Mando and Greef attempted to move it out onto the river, yet it was stuck against the side of the dock, the heat of the lava melting the two together. Cara walked forward, blasting away at the middle of the two fused parts and managed to get the boat unstuck. Elwyn smiled at her and she smiled back as both men looked at her in disbelief as though they had it. The heat from the fiery lava cause sweat to form on Elwyn’s brow, making them squirm uncomfortably in place, pulling at their clothes or scratching where they felt sweat pooling. If they didn’t hate the heat before, they certainly do now.

They got on, the ferry droid starting to speak, yet no one understood it. IG translated, saying that the droid is asking where they want to go.

“Down river towards the lava flats,” Greef spoke. And with that the droid begins rowing the floating boat down the river, the heat of the lava burning the metal paddle. Elwyn sits down, wincing as they remembered the wound on their back. Mando of course notices.

“Are you ok?”

Elwyn looks at him before brushing him off, “Just forgot about a wound. I’ll be fine.”

Mando sighs. He’d have to look at it once they get back to the ship. They were much too stubborn at the moment. Maybe once they’re tired enough to not fight back, he could fix it. They smiled up at him. It was a small smile. Just to reassure him that they’re fine. They felt around the back, feeling the long cut trail down the left side of their back, right underneath their shoulder blade. It wasn’t bleeding badly. Yet they couldn’t see the amount of blood that had pooled around the wound before it stopped bleeding. 

“There are troops outside the tunnel,” Mando speaks after a while. He watches them through the scanner in his helmet. This wasn’t good. 

Cara turns to the boat droid, “Stop the boat!”

It ignores her. She frowns before reaching for her blaster and shooting its head off. Maybe she thought that would work. Maybe she did it out of rage. Elwyn couldn’t really tell. but the boat was still moving forward. Elwyn got up, looking over the side to see if there was anything they could do. But no. The ground was too far away to jump to and there were no more paddles to hopefully turn the boat around.

“I will eliminate the enemy while you escape,”

Elwyn turns around upon hearing IG speak. 

Mando looks to him, “We’re outgunned.”

“I’ll self-destruct as per protocol,” 

Elwyn rushed to IG, dripping onto his thin metal arm, “No!”

“You have to help us shoot our way out!” Mando insists.

The droid just stands there, “We won’t have a chance of succeeding then.”

Elwyn shook their head. they didn’t want anyone else dying. Not after Kuiil. Not after Mando getting injured. That was enough. No more. Their heart clenched in their chest, remembering Kuiil. He only just recently bought a new and better life onto this droid. He couldn’t lose it so quickly. 

“Look after the Child,” He says, handing him and his jetpack to Mando. 

“Please don’t do this IG,” Elwyn sobs lightly, biting down hard on their lip as they try to hold back even more tears.

“Let me do me default second command. So, I can protect you and serve my purpose,” IG said, placing a hand on Elwyn’s, who still gripped onto his arm. 

Mando swallows, looking back to the droid, “We need you.”

“Don’t be sad. I’ve never been alive,”

“I’m not sad,” Mando says, yet Elwyn could hear his voice laced with it.

They soon could taste blood in their mouth now, their lip punctured from biting down on it too hard. That’s when they felt the tears on their skin. They hugged him before letting go. 

“Goodbye,” they muttered as the robot hopped down from the boat, wadding through the searing hot lava and towards the opening of the lava river. The troopers aimed but couldn’t fire in time as IG exploded, taking out the small gathering of troopers around the entrance. Elwyn rubbed away the tears and found Mando’s hand, squeezing it lightly. He could only squeeze back as they all watched the flames from the explosion disappear. 

IG was gone.

The group exited the boat quickly, finally getting to safety. Or so they thought. Soon the sky was filled with the roaring sound of a TIE fighter flying closer. Moff Gideon’s TIE fighter. The ship fires at them and they all duck for cover as the ship flies over them, getting ready for another round of fire. Everyone tries to shoot at the ship, yet soon after, everyone runs out of fire power. Elwyn huffs in defeat as they re-holster their weapons at their side. 

“Anyone have any ideas?” Cara asks. 

Greef smiles, an idea coming to mind, “Let’s make the baby do the magic hand thing!”

He as well as everyone else turn to the kid, looking at him expectantly.

“Come on baby! Do the magic hand thing!” Greef smiles, waving his hand slightly at the kid.

The Child looks up to Greef and smiles, waving his little hand back in response. Elwyn stifled a laugh at the kid’s reaction. Greef sighs and turns away from the kid in defeat.

“I’m out of ideas,” he huffs. 

The TIE fighter could be heard coming back, the roar of its engine getting louder.

“Here he comes!” Cara cries. 

Mando puts on his jetpack and flies off, racing after the TIE fighter. Elwyn rushes forward as he takes off, screaming after him. Not again. He can’t do this again! He can’t get hurt!! They watch as he tries prying open the hatch yet failing. Gideon grunts, trying to fling him off by jolting the ship. He almost slipped. Elwyn felt their breath catch in their throat. They put their hands over their mouth, trying to calm down, to try and do something. Anything. Anything to make them less scared of loosing him. That’s when he fell, his jetpack helping him land safely as the TIE fighter exploded, spinning out of control and landing with a loud crash across the plains of Nevarro. 

Moff Gideon was dead. 

Elwyn rushed to Mando, enveloping him in a hug, which he returned gladly. The others approached the two, Cara holding the Child in her arms. Elwyn broke away from the hug to take the kid in their arms. it was over. Everything was fine again. 

“I’m impressed with your combat prowess! Your bounty rates have just gone up!” Greef laughs.

“Are there more stormtroopers?” Mando asks.

“I think we’ve cleaned up the town. We’ll both stay around to make sure,” Cara grins.

“Nevarro is a nice planet now that the scum and villainy has been washed away,” Greef adds. Elwyn smiled, finding themselves agreeing with him, “you’ll be welcomed back to the Guild with open arms by friend! Go an enjoy yourself. And when you’re ready to return, you can have a pick of all the quarries!”

Elwyn looks to Mando and grins widely. Mando could only shake his head, patting them on the shoulder.

“I’ll have to decline your offer. I have more pressing matters at hand,” Mando replies, gesturing to the Child with a tilt of his head. 

Cara reaches forward towards the kid and runs her fingers across his left ear, “Take care of this little one. Both of you.”

Greef erupts into a hearty laugh, “I think he’ll take care of both of them!”

Elwyn laughed slightly with him. He was a good man. A good man with a kind heart. They hoped they’d see him again. Including Cara. Both were such amazing people that were now apart of Elwyn’s new and exciting life. Elwyn looks to Mando and he nods. It was time to go.

Mando scoops Elwyn up into his arms before taking off with his jetpack, thanking the Maker that they were light enough to carry without bring them down. They watched as Greef and Cara grew smaller as they got further away. A battle left behind forever. A battle that shaped a better Nevarro. And for the first time, Elwyn was really going to miss Nevarro.  
They all return to the Razor Crest, body aching from the fight. They buried Kuiil and his Blurrg, paying respects to him before turning to head back to the ship. Yet Elwyn lingered for a few more moments, crouching down beside his grave. They kissed the tips of their fingers before planting them onto his grave. They smiled sadly.

“Goodbye for now, friend,” They smiled before going back to the ship, sitting in the cockpit with Mando. They place the kid on their lap, kissing him lightly on his wrinkly head. Mando pulls out of the system, sighing heavily as he rests back in his seat. He soon turns around, noticing something. He looks down at the Child to see him holding his Mythosaur necklace. Elwyn follows his gaze. Cheeky shit. He must have snagged it from their pocket. The kid looked up at him before holding it back out to Mando.

Mando shook his head, pushing it back into his grasp, “Keep it.” 

Elwyn smiled as they helped him drape the necklace over his head as he started sucking lightly on the metal pendent. They pulled it from his mouth, quietly scolding him.

“You ok?”

Elwyn looked up at Mando and smiled, “Yeah. I’m good actually.” It wasn't a lie. Yet their back still kind of hurt. They'd deal with it later.

He nodded, focusing his gaze back to the front of the ship. Silence once again. Nothing but the whirr of the ship’s engine to fill it, but that soon just became white noise that added onto the silence. And that silence soon turned into tension. Elwyn shifted in their seat, making sure not to disturb the Child in his little examination of the necklace pendent. Mando glanced back to Elwyn before getting up, picking the Child up and leaving. Elwyn sighed. Why did he have to be so hard to talk to sometimes? 

Just as they thought about that, he returned, pulling them up out of their seat and wrapping them in a tight hug.

“I love you too,”

Elwyn gasped lightly as he squeezed them in his hold. They couldn’t help but do the same. After seeing him injured and slowly dying from his head wound, they had realised just how much they loved him. How much they meant to him. They didn’t want him to die. They needed him like anything else. He was their world. And thinking about him being dead broke their heart in two. Both of them were always going to end up this way; the realization sank into Elwyn like warm, slow syrup. In spite of their previous scorn, they had always been intensely aware of him, and him of them. Both their connection, while tense, sparked like a live wire, ran with the force of an electric current. From the beginning, they both had been a powder keg about to explode.

Because, while Elwyn had hated him at first, while they had found him rude and mean and insufferably stubborn, they had also liked him. So much. More than they could justify it.  
And everything that had happened on Nevarro caused them to wake up to their feelings. All hesitation gone. They pulled away from the hug, putting their hands on the side of his helmet and putting his head against theirs. A Keldabe Kiss, they remembered correctly. Mando placed his hands at the side’s of Elwyn’s face in return, closing his eyes in the peaceful silence of the ship.

“I’m ready,” They muttered.

Mando looked to them, their eyes closed, a peaceful and gentle look settling into their features. He had never been so happy to hear two simple words. He enveloped them into a hug again. The sound of his beating heart filtered into Elwyn’s ears as they rested their head against his chest plate, the cold metal stinging their warm cheek. For once they felt content. Content with their life, emotions, themselves. It was a wonderful blissful feeling that almost made their whole body turn to putty right then are there in Mando’s arms. They looked up at him and smiled his favourite smile.

“Mando,”

He shook his head, “Din. Call me Din.”

Elwyn looked at him with utmost admiration filling their eyes. To be allowed to speak his name was music to their ears. They smiled again, before letting out a small giggle, burying their face back into his chest.

“Din. I love that name,”

The Razor Crest drifted through space, guiding the small family through the galaxy. Guiding them through to their next adventure. 

To find the Jedi.

~END~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! The babes are finally a thing!!! I will be taking a small break to plan a little bit further for season 2. I have come up with a few ideas but not enough to begin writing yet! As always if there are any mistakes, or anything I could improve on etc, please let me know cause I'm always looking to improve my skills at writing!!!
> 
> And with that, I'll see you when I post the first chapter of season 2!!! Remember to subscribe to the series so that you're notified when I post the next chapter!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! If there were any errors or any awkward phrasing etc, please tell me because I'm always looking to improve my writing! Chapter 2 is coming soon hopefully, and it'll be longer than this chapter!


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